Melt For Me
by mintdream
Summary: Elsa and Jack Frost met in high school and are seemingly polar opposites. Jack is popular, fun-loving, and always a laugh; Elsa is aloof, serious, and always alone. They could never be good friends, let alone love each other... or could they? Jelsa!
1. Chapter 1 - Plan Number 49

Chapter 1

**ELSA **

* * *

Elsa sat in the back corner of the classroom, her platinum blonde hair wrapped in her trademark French braided crown twist bun, her face perpetually schooled into a mask of poise and indifference, her eyes staring out at the world beyond the window. The teacher droned on, her lecture causing some of the class to fall asleep. A ruckus interrupted Elsa's musings and the class's sleep, drawing all of the room's attention to the desk at the front of the room, far away from where Elsa sat.

Jack Frost was a constant class disruption whom Elsa secretly found fascinating. A small smile crept its way onto her face, which she hid with her hand, as she watched Jack stand up in the middle of the lecture and hold up his arms dramatically.

"Hallelujah! Pizza!" He all but shouted. "YES!"

The teacher started, and asked in an aggravated voice, "What is it this time, Jack?"

Running towards the door, he called over his shoulder, "I've gotta pay the delivery boy, right now!"

"Hold on!" she screeched uselessly, and ran after him. "Jack, come back here!"

The class laughed, and Elsa hid a wider grin under her hand.

Coming back with a pizza and detention slip in his hand five minutes later, he walked triumphantly back to his seat and plopped down. The aroma of pizza wafted to all corners of the room, and the class didn't hesitate to converge on Jack's desk. He laughed and joked around with them, not even taking one slice for himself. Elsa observed this with subdued curiosity, thinking about how he always made others have a good time at his own expense. Tales and rumors about him and his undying immaturity ran rampant around the school. People wanted to be friends with him for his adventures, and forgot about what he was really like as a person, it seemed to Elsa. She sighed and resumed her watch on the view outside.

**JACK **

* * *

He watched the class with a content feeling. They were laughing and giggling; this was much better than them snoring and doodling. The bright yellow detention slip was worth it, he figured, if his goal of everyone getting a good laugh was achieved. Jack looked around, grinning at all of the people around him. His eyes caught on Elsa, the quiet girl in the back, who always stared out the window. People said she came from an extremely rich family, and that she was aloof and snobby. But even the snobbiest people in the class reacted to his stunts, while Elsa had never.

His brow furrowed. Why did she never react? Every day, he tried something new in hopes that it would make her smile, but to no avail. His foot tapped a fast rhythm up and down as he got to thinking. A smile overtook his face as Plan Number 49 popped into his head.

Oh, he liked this one. This one was perhaps the best one yet. His sharp blue eyes sparkled with mirth and mischief, and Jack commenced the planning.

The entirety of the plan relied on his charm and wit. Phase one was to get on a one-on-one basis—after all, none of the 48 other plans involving the whole class had worked. Maybe, all Elsa would take was a little sweet talking. Phase two would involve getting to know her and learning what made her laugh. Phase three: her never-before-seen smile. Jack looked back at the girl, just a quick glance, and froze.

She gazed at him, her blue eyes knowing and full of an emotion that he recognized. He looked away quickly, his heart pounded hard against his chest. His smile was gone, and in its place was an inkling of doubt. Maybe they were more alike than he had imagined. Maybe Elsa embraced the loneliness he had seen in her eyes, and he was in denial. He gave his head a quick shake to clear it, turning to his neighbor to whisper a pointless and meaningless joke. He grinned wide.

* * *

**A/N: First story ever, sorry if it sucks! More to come soon. Warning: it gets SUPER cliche after chapter 6, read at your own risk!**

**Also, Jack's personality probably isn't accurate, and in later chapters even more so, just a heads up!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**


	2. Chapter 2 - Want Some Candy?

Chapter 2

**ELSA**

* * *

When Jack had looked back at her, it had been startling. Her mask had slipped, and he had seen. A moment later, though, he was facing back to the front of the room as if he hadn't seen anything, making Elsa wonder. What had that look been, anyways? His usual mischievous glint was gone, replaced by an almost yearning expression. Just what was Jack underneath all the jokes?

After school, she found Jack waiting at her locker.

"Excuse me," Elsa said politely.

He glanced at her, a grin appearing, and moved. He stared at her as she opened her locker. Elsa ignored him the whole time, and turned to leave after she was finished. As she was about to go, his hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Yes?" she replied, finally glancing up at him.

"So I was thinking," a cheeky grin on Jack's face, "that we should be friends."

"Oh?" Elsa raised an eyebrow. "And why is that, may I ask?"

"Yes, you may ask. And simply because…" he trailed off, a curiously serious expression on his handsome face. His hand went from resting on her shoulder to running through his silver hair, almost as if he were nervous.

She waited patiently, her hands demurely clasped in front of her.

"… Because it'll be fun!" He finished. With that, Jack slung an arm over her slender shoulder, and leaned towards her. Their faces were mere inches apart, a devilish grin on his. "And I _know_ you like fun, despite the appearance you give off."

Elsa didn't know whether to be offended by his last statement, or touched that he had noticed her, but she kept her stoic expression. It was kind of hard to with his face right in front of hers. Jack was so close; it was easy to smell him. She found him, to her extreme embarrassment, to smell incredible. Not only that, but was it possible for a guy to smell irresistible? Would it be obvious if she leaned in a bit closer to sniff him? Elsa could just see it… Her leaning in towards his neck, a blissful expression on her face as she took a big whiff, eyes closed, only to open them and find Jack staring at her like she was a creep. The image disappeared from her mind immediately, though a slight pink tinged her cheeks. She realized she hadn't replied yet, and tried to remember what he had said. It was no use; as of that moment, Jack smelled far too good for her to think straight.

Elsa cleared her throat. "Ah, sorry. What were you saying?"

He looked at Elsa with a peeved expression. "I said," he drawled, "That I know you like to have fun."

A practiced eyebrow raise. "Oh really? You think _I _like fun?" she asked. That was surprising.

"Yeah, I do." A saucy grin, and he started backing up.

Elsa watched him walk backwards away from her, mourning the loss of his smell. With a salute and a wink, he suddenly turned the corner and was gone. Somehow, he had managed to avoid knocking into a single person or thing on his backwards journey. Impressive.

The next day, Jack waited by her locker before and after school, and walked her to her classes. It was a mystery as to how he always got to her in time, and how he always found something to talk about. Just what was he planning?

Elsa sat on her bed each night and wondered. It was a strange situation that warranted much pondering. People didn't just decide to be friends with someone—Elsa especially—just like that. Didn't he know? Everyone said she was mean, icy, snobby, and to top it off, _boring. _Oh, some nicer people claimed she was a 'mystery', but she knew they eventually gave up and agreed that she was a bore. What exactly was someone like Jack doing with someone like her? It was fishy alright, but Elsa couldn't figure it out.

Elsa looked around at her silent room, in the silent house, and let out a quiet sigh. She wished she could've talked to someone, anyone, but who could she talk to? The servants of the house, sure, but what good would that do? They would just report the matter to the rest of the family, and Elsa would receive a strict talking-to. The thought made her feel lonelier, if that was at all possible. She could speak freely to no one, not even a trivial matter like this. She had no one. She came to the conclusion, as she had always come to, that she was all alone. Some seven billion people were on the planet, yet she managed to stay in solitude. Was that an achievement she should pat herself on the back for, or did it just show what an utter failure she was? Elsa blew out an annoyed breath, ruffling the bangs hanging in her face, and flopped down on her annoyingly extravagant bed. Then she stared up at her ceiling, feeling with a sense of despair-an emotion not uncommon to her- that the silence was overwhelmingly loud. Another troubled sigh escaped her, as her mind went back to Jack. After all, he was the only thing on her mind nowadays.

That Friday, Jack didn't fail to surprise her. He didn't just wait for Elsa by her locker after school; he steered her towards his car and told her to hop in. He stared at her unmoving form, a pained look on his face.

"Hey," he said slowly, as if it pained him, and pulled out a lollipop from the pocket of his hoodie. "I've got _candy_. I'll let you have some of my secret stash if you get in. This is a big deal, okay? It's from my _secret stash_."

She didn't move, a look of great disbelief in her eyes. What was with this situation? Was he some creep, luring her some place with candy? This was a development she hadn't foreseen. She wanted to burst out laughing at the possibility. What if the popular, well-loved Jack Frost actually had the questionable hobby of giving candy to kids in an attempt to get them in his car? Apparently, her face showed exactly what she was thinking.

"HEY!" Jack exclaimed indignantly. "Stranger-danger ain't applicable here, okay? We're _friends_, right?"

He winked at her, and laughed. His blue eyes lit up with an idea, and Elsa raised an eyebrow. She could guess what was coming.

**JACK**

* * *

"Hey, hey," Jack whispered secretively, his eyes still it up. He edged closer to Elsa, getting in her personal space. She edged back until her back hit the car. "Little girl, I've got some candy here. Wanna come into my car?"

He waved the sucker in front of her face.

He looked outrageous, and Elsa fought the urge to laugh in his face. After a long moment of staring at each other, the urge died away. Instead, Elsa decided to play along. She rolled her eyes and laughed, snatching it out of his hand. "Fine, _mister_, give me all your candy!"

Jack's eyes practically bugged out of his head.

She grinned, thinking about she had just said. "Ooooooh, that was rather suggestive of me! Such a sassy innuendo."

He stared at her, stunned, as she opened to door to his car and slid in. Her hair lay on her shoulder, undone from its twist upon her head and instead in a loose braid. When had that happened? It looked good... But that was besides the point. Three things at once had left him speechless.

One, she had laughed. Actually laughed! It was the first time he had ever seen it, in the entirety of the time Jack had known Elsa.  
Two, she had played along and actually taken his candy. Oi, and that innuendo! It almost gave him a heart attack to hear those last words come out of Elsa's mouth! Next thing he knew, she'd be saying "That's what s/he said!"! It was a startling thought.  
Three, she had gotten in his car.

And four, he realized as he himself got into the car, Elsa was mesmerizingly beautiful when she smiled. Jack looked at her, watching as she popped the sucker into her mouth and rolled it around.

She looked up at him and grinned. "Got any more?"

This could be getting dangerous.

* * *

**A/N: How'd you guys like that? Ahhhh I hope it was good. Thanks for following and reviewing, every single one made me smile!**

**markwyldespinebuster- done and done!, serina1944-hope you liked this! ahh XD, LillyStoppable-thanks! seriously!, glee131313- gahhh, thanks so much! :))) seriously to all you reviewers, y'all made me really happy ^.^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything! ****The cover art is a collage from **Ines92** and **thamzmasterpiece **on deviantart!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Pizza Wars and Slaves

Chapter 3

Unbeknownst to Jack, the words that had escaped from Elsa's mouth had surprised her, too. In that moment, as she stood there deciding whether or not to take the leap (and candy), a question had appeared before her.

_Should she, or shouldn't she?_

The words had a permanent residence in Elsa's head, replaying themselves whenever her carefully held control started to slip. During that split second before taking Jack's candy, Elsa had made a decision. Two options lay before her as the infamous question popped into her mind: she could either continue holding herself back, or let loose. Something about Jack made her yearn for the freedom, for the ease of what option 2 promised. He made it look so easy, so fun. What was the point of withholding herself, anyways? What good could restraint possibly do?

For the first time in a long, long time, she chose option 2. Elsa had chosen freedom.

With her decision made, smiles and laughter bubbled from her lips freely. It shocked her how easy it was to give up control, but she loved it. Jack, in turn, was shocked by the sudden change in Elsa. Her joy was exhilarating and intoxicating. The urge to keep her like this- free, happy, and brilliant was overwhelming.

But despite thinking long and hard about how to go about doing that, he didn't know how to. So instead, Jack returned each smile and laugh, and drove them somewhere fun.

He ended up driving them to laser-tag. After four inexplicably intense games, they sat in his car, deciding what to do next. Jack declared that they should take a chance with hand-made pizza.

"Come on, Elsa," he pleaded with a mischievous glint in his eye. "It'll be _reeeeally_ fun and yummy. Almost as yummy as my candy." A wink.

A snort escaped Elsa, which she tried covering up with a cough, and failed. Jack's face contorted in an attempt to hold back his laughter- Elsa, snorting? They were soon both laughing, red in the face, sides hurting.

As her laughter faded away, the inevitable _Should I or shouldn't I? _invaded Elsa's mind. She had already spent two hours away from home-could she get away with any longer? She wavered, one second screaming _YES!, _the next, a fearful _no_.

Jack's serious voice interrupted her thoughts. "Hey, you know…"

She looked at him expectantly.

"I make a mean," he said, as if it was of utmost importance, "and I mean _mean _pizza. Not many people can say that."

His face said Elsa should be impressed. Hers said she wasn't.

"HEY! You try making one and see how it goes! I bet you've never even tried."

"Ah… no. Can't say I have."

A grin slid across his face. "You know what this means."

"No," Elsa replied slowly, "I don't?"

"PIZZA WAR! Pizza war! Pizza WAR! Loser is slave to the winner for a week!"

A puzzled look flashed across Elsa's face. What was with his obsession with pizza? It was soon replaced with a look of horror as the second part of what he had said registered. "_Absolutely_ _not_. I refuse."

Jack pouted, but Elsa turned away, arms crossed resolutely. She had seen just a glimpse, and she knew she had to turn away. Pouts were her weakness- a guy with a good pout would make her defenseless.

And Jack had a flawless pout.

After a minute of useless pouting, he let loose a knowing sigh.

"What?" Elsa whirled around. "What was that sigh for?"

"You're just…"

They stared at each other, Elsa with a look that dared him to go on, Jack with a knowing, satisfied smirk. He leaned in closer, his irresistible smell wafting closer with him.

"Afraid to see my masterful, all-powerful, awe-inspiring chef skills involving PIZZA!"

"Oh, God…" Elsa couldn't hold back an eye-roll.

"Yes," Jack smirked, "I imagine the image of me in a chef's uniform _is _quite godly, though I'll take sexy and swoon-worthy, too. Afraid you can't handle my skills?"

"Ugh," a smile crept into her voice, "Nope. I can handle them."

"Then… Can't handle my sexy good looks in an apron?" There was a challenge in his voice.

"I think I can handle that, too."

"Really?" His voice was a whisper, and Elsa noticed that their faces had come closer and closer and were now mere inches away.

"Really," she whispered back.

"Prove it, Elsa."

"Make me, Jack."

Something crackled in the air between them, something neither Jack nor Elsa wanted to look too closely at. It was silent save for their quiet breathing as they stared at one another. Suddenly Jack drew back, and grinned wide.

"You got it, I'm definitely makin' you prove it!"

With that, the car squealed out of the parking lot and raced towards Jack's house.

"HEY!" Elsa shouted. But she was laughing as she said it, and Jack knew he had made the right decision. She wouldn't admit it, but she wanted to say yes. He just had to make her.

As it turned out, Elsa baked a simple pizza with just cheese, whereas Jack loaded on anything and everything he could find, topping it off with pineapple pieces. She found, to her dismay, that she indeed sucked at making pizza and that Jack was rather masterful. He had won, and now she was Jack Frost's personal slave for a week. And, as she would never admit to him, he looked downright sexy in his apron. Not only did he smell good, she realized with dismay, but he could cook, AND he looked drool-worthy doing it. Life just wasn't fair.

Friday evening passed by in a blur for the both of them. After gorging on Jack's catastrophic-looking pizza (which tasted surprisingly delicious), they exchanged phone numbers, Elsa pretending to be aggravated but ultimately failing when a smile slipped through. When he drove Elsa back, it was already dark, which she didn't notice until she was already at her door. A few laughs escaped as she thought back on her crazy night. She hadn't done something like this in _years_.

The door swung open before her, and the chuckle died immediately on her lips. A maid stood in the doorway, an unimpressed expression upon her face.

"Miss Elsa." The maid's cold voice cut through the warmth Elsa had been basking in for the evening, chilling her. She blinked in response.

"Where have you been?"

Elsa swallowed, and clasped her hands in front of her. A curt reply would do best, she decided. "Out."

"And where, exactly, Miss Elsa, is '_out_ '? You know how detailed your parents like the daily reports to be, surely. Do I need to remind you to be _responsible_?"

Elsa flinched at the unpleasant reminder and narrowed her eyes at the maid. What a bitch. It didn't surprise Elsa, though. All the maids were like this. But the reminder brought with it Elsa's dark and buried memories, and the helpless feelings with it. The past seemed to rush up at her like an angry sea, bringing with it the horrified looks and pointed fingers. _Everything was her fault_, their eyes said, _she needed to be taught a lesson, such an irresponsible child_-

"Well?" the maid asked, bringing Elsa back to the present.

"Yes. I know. I _know_ I have to be responsible, no need to remind me," she retorted. Elsa wanted to brush past her, but the maid still was situated in the doorway, blocking the entrance, waiting for more. The maid stood there unwavering. She wouldn't move until she was given an answer.

"Fine!" Elsa finally muttered. "I was with a friend."

"Oh? May I please ask who this friend is?"

_No, you may not, _she wanted to say. Instead, Elsa pursed her lips. No more. She would take no more. "Excuse me. May I come inside?"

"But of course, Miss. My apologies." The maid managed to look as insincere as possible while sliding away from the doorway.

Whatever. Elsa wouldn't let it bother her. "Yes, well, I'm going to shower then go to bed. I'm rather tired." She turned towards the staircase, hoping for a quick escape.

"But of course, Miss. If you need any assistance, please do not hesitate to call one of us."

The maid was gone by the time Elsa turned back to look, and a relieved sigh escaped her. Her feet trudged up the winding staircase, stopped in front of her door as she opened it, and tiredly kicked it shut behind her. What was that maid going to report? What was-

Her thoughts were interrupted by the vibration of her phone in her back pocket.

_Hey stranger. Just got home. Get ready for some more fun next Friday! I'm totally kidnapping you again._

Elsa smiled. Jack. Her black mood was already lifting.

_You sound like a pervert again._

_Only for you ;)_

Another text quickly followed his last one.

_btw dont forget you're my SLAVE! 3_

A laugh came tumbling out of Elsa's mouth, and she grinned. Maybe he could cheer her up. She sat down on her bed, a small smile finding its way on her face.

...

Back and forth the texts went, as the two stared at their screens in their rooms, eagerly awaiting a response from the other. A strange, unfamiliar feeling faintly flickered and pulsed in both of their chests. What exactly was it? Was it happiness? Was it hope? Was it friendship? Or could it be lo- No. Couldn't be. Definitely not. But maybe it was...

In between texts, these thoughts ran through their heads in a loop. Anticipation and doubt simultaneously tugged them this way and that. It was as exhilarating and liberating as it was frightening and frustrating. Just what were they? Were they friends? Or what?

But the next text would come, and one loop of questions would end with a smile and a rapid response. Then the loop would start again, a slightly different question here and there.

...

Elsa stared until she couldn't keep her eyes open, until her eyelids became too heavy, until she fell asleep from exhaustion.  
But the small smile never quite faded from her face.

* * *

**At the end of Jack's text is supposed to be a HEART! The formatting just isn't allowing the "less than" symbol to remain . Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed that! **

**Thank you to all you reviewers! Hopefully, some of your questions are answered here. I'm going to try to answer/clarify more in later chapters, so yeah. Big thanks for reviewing to: mowi , Bluefire407 , Nardragon , WickedgreenPhantom , maggilefay , The Flash Pirates (btw really loved your review) , and all guest reviewers- y'all made my day! haha I got email updates during school, and would get so excited with each one.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**


	4. Chapter 4 - Stay At My Place

Chapter 4

As it turned out, being slave to Jack Frost for a week was rather un-extraordinary. She fetched him food-especially pizza-, carried stuff for him, and occasionally drove him around. The week passed quickly, as did the days following it. Every Friday brought a new adventure for the two. Soon, Jack and Elsa were inseparable. Against all odds and to the great confoundment of their classmates, they had quickly become best friends. Jack, who had always been "everyone and anyone's friend", soon stuck like glue to Elsa, and Elsa, who had never really been anyone's friend, had fixed herself to Jack rather nicely.

They were attached at the hip, and it seemed - from their nonexistent fights and constant laughter - that fact wasn't going to change anytime soon. Whispers flew through the halls about the two; were they dating? When had they become so close? How had polar opposites become so friendly?  
But the questions remained unanswered, and soon the school had come to accept the odd pair. In a fair amount of time, in fact, it became a subject of gossip and abnormality when the two _weren't _together and joking around.

At first, their classmates were unsure of how to handle the pair. Summer passed, and their senior year began. Still, no one dared interrupt the two. After a few months of observance and curiosity, however, a brave freshman came up to talk to Jack and Elsa.

* * *

It was after school one day, and the halls were slowly but surely emptying out. The two stood by Elsa's locker, chatting like they always did.

"So Jack," Elsa thought aloud, "what's going down this Friday?"

He looked at her with a rapidly growing smirk. "Well, I mean... Rather than 'what' going down, I was thinking more along the lines of 'who', and that maybe you-"

Elsa cut him off with a solid smack on his arm. A faint blush colored her cheeks, but she was so used to all of his suggestive comments by now that only Jack, who stood very close to her, could see her pink face.

"So mature, Jack, so mature," she muttered somewhat crossly. "Anyways..."

She trailed off as she looked behind him.

"What? What?" he eagerly demanded. Then he noticed where she was staring, and turned around.

A tall and stocky dirty blonde was approaching them, a curious and determined expression on his face. His brown eyes were warm yet cautious, and stared intently at the two before him.

"So," the blonde stated matter-of-factly when he reached the pair. "I'm Kristoff."

"Yes," Jack said, letting loose an admiring whistle. "Freshman, right? You're a monster!"

"You're Elsa?" Kristoff turned to her, completely ignoring Jack.

"Um... Yes?" Where was this going? she wondered.

"Hi there. Nice to meet you." He stuck his hand out for shaking, which Elsa accepted guardedly.

"Hey, Kristoff? Helloooooo?" Jack tried pushing Kristoff away from Elsa, only to be blocked by the blonde even more.

"I've always been curious about you, ya know," Kristoff declared. "We've never talked before, but I'm glad we know each other now."

"Hey Kristoff~~" Jack sang in a muffled voice, "I'd reeeally like to join this conversation!"

"Oh, right!" the tall blonde moved out of the way, and had an embarrassed look on his face. "Sorry. I kind of forgot you were there."

An offended and miffed look appeared on Jack's face. "HEY! You-, what-! Jeez, such a sassy freshman..."

Their conversation continued, but Elsa remained quiet for a large part of it. She was thinking very hard about something.

Kristoff... Kristoff... His face reminded her of something, or maybe even some_one_, she just couldn't put her finger on it...

The sudden realization hit her in the face. She paled slightly, and looked back at him in concern. What was he here for? Surely not for what Elsa thought...

He seemed to feel her eyes on himself, and ignored whatever Jack was saying again. "Elsa, I'm friends with Anna. You might've seen me around her."

Jack stopped whatever he was saying, and stared at Elsa. "... Anna?"

Kristoff nodded, and continued. "Yeah, and she's mentioned many times wanting to talk to you. I figured she would never say this herself, and that I should tell you."

"I-" Elsa started, then stopped. Her eyebrows furrowed and her heart started to beat faster- what could she possibly say? "I just..."

The blonde ruffled his hair, as if unsure. "I didn't know how to approach you before, but now that I've seen you around Jack, I thought it'd be easier to tell you this," he admitted.

Elsa had nothing to say. She just stared back at Kristoff, deeply distressed. Despite her calm appearance, she was seconds from crumbling. Anna brought back dark, lonely memories... She could take it from the maids, but a surprise attack at school? She couldn't handle it. Sadness washed over her: How could she face Anna? After all that had happened, after all she had put Anna through... A terrible feeling of doubt and regret crept up her throat, threatening to choke her.

Jack immediately jumped in, slinging an arm around Elsa. It was as if he were protecting her, but she didn't know against what. "She'll go if I go."

Elsa tries to glare at him, but couldn't muster enough anger. She was drained, yet full of uncertainty.

"Great!" a grin lit up Kristoff's face, as if he were truly happy. "I'll go tell Anna, and let you now when and where!"

He ran off, a friendly wave thrown over his shoulder as he retreated.

Elsa sagged against Jack, having no idea what to do. She wanted to sink to the floor, but there were still people around. As if sensing her despair, Jack wrapped his arms around her, bringing Elsa's head against his shoulder. His fingers worked in a soothing motion through her hair, which had escaped its braid during the course of the day.

"Shhh," he mumbled. "It's okay. You don't have to say anything. I'm here for you."

A quiet whimper escaped her, and she buried her head deeper into the crook of his neck. Maybe she should just take deep breaths full of Jack's scent and that would calm her. Maybe she could finally get to fulfill her fantasy of taking a big whiff of his neck...

A somewhat confused look appeared on Jack's face. "Did you just...?"

"Shuddup," she muttered. Her lips brushed against his neck as she said it, making Jack entirely distracted. There were a whole lotta sensations happening to his neck today, he thought.

She breathed in again, a small, satisfied grin appearing on her face, hidden from Jack.

"He-hey," he stuttered, a slight shudder running through his body. "You know..."

He squeezed his eyes shut, working hard to concentrate on the situation at hand.

"What?" Elsa mumbled and peeked open an eye to look up at him. Jack looked especially delicious at that moment. That wouldn't do. He would be in danger if he kept looking like that, she thought. She just wouldn't hold herself back if he kept at it... But no. She sighed slightly. She couldn't ruin their friendship. She nuzzled her nose in closer, and closed her eyes. This was really nice. What was she even worried about, anyways?

"It's distracting," he whispered.

"It sure is," she mumbled.

They stood there for a while, oblivious to all the whispering and pointed glances. Speculation had passed about their rumored relationship, but this was a new development. Was this really a platonic moment?

As each day went on, Elsa and Jack were slowly becoming more and more addicted to each other. Each smile, each laugh, each glance, each shove, each joke was remarkable, was extraordinary, was invigorating.  
It was rather concerning for the two of them.

* * *

A few weeks later, the duo's Friday plans consisted of a rendezvous in a diner with the mysterious Anna.  
Elsa sat next to Jack in the booth, fidgeting more with each passing minute. Finally, Jack couldn't take it anymore and grabbed one of her hands in his.

He leaned in close, his breath tickling her neck. "You can do this," he whispered in her ear. "I don't know who Anna is, but I believe in you."

She turned her head slightly and looked into his clear blue eyes. Jack was close, maybe even too close. He smiled at her and squeezed the hand he was still holding. Elsa bit her lip, thinking. This situation... The atmosphere... What were they doing? Where were they going? Did he even realize what she was feeling?

A throat clearing startled the two of them, and Elsa ripped her hand out of Jack's, thoroughly embarrassed. A disgruntled noise sounded from Jack's direction, pleasing Elsa, followed by him slipping his hand into hers again.

Kristoff stood before their booth, and peeking out from behind him was a strawberry blonde. A petite girl- or at least compared to Kristoff -stood there, with an unsure grin, bright blue-green eyes, and a combination of freckles and a dark blush across her cheeks.

Jack glanced at Elsa and noticed she was frowning, unsure. She didn't look like she was about to say anything. This could get awkward if no one spoke...

"So!" he said loudly, startling the two girls. "Anna, right? I'm Jack Frost."

She looked at him, the grin staying in place. "Oh, hey! Hi there! You- um!" She looked around hurriedly, noticing she and Kristoff were still standing. "Mind if we sit down?"

She plopped down without waiting for an answer, eagerly leaning forward. "Elsa! I haven't seen you in forever! To be honest, I'm surprised you agreed to meet me."

Elsa forced a grin, and fidgeted with the hand Jack wasn't holding. "Yeah, you're right." She paused, considering. "You look wonderful, Anna."

"I- Really? Um, thanks! You too!" She looked wildly nervous, and glanced at Kristoff for help.

He made a motion with his hand for her to continue and sat back contentedly.

"Right. Well, you see... I just, I just-!" She tugged on both of her braids, a frustrated look on her face. "I just- Why did you stop talking to me all those years ago? Was I really that annoying of a five-year-old? I tried talking to you for years, but..."

The girls stared at each other, their forgotten history running through Elsa's mind.

"I missed you." Anna sounded so sad, so alone, so pained, it was like a blow to Elsa's heart. But how could she explain it? Anna would never understand...

* * *

_Ten years ago..._

"Anna!" Elsa called out, giggling. "Oh Aaaaaanna!"

"You'll never catch me!" cried the other girl.

"Yes I will!"

The two friends shared a secret- they had biked away and escaped from Elsa's nanny. What fun could the two do when a boring old lady was always telling them what to do? They didn't care about responsibility or their so-called obligation to withhold their family names. So what if both of their families were obscenely rich? Their affluence did nothing for their happiness, so they didn't have a care for it.

Why should they?

"Elsaaa! Keep up!" The energetic younger girl looked backwards towards Elsa as she biked blindly ahead. " You should-"

It seemed to happen in slow motion, and engraved itself into Elsa's memory.

A pack of boys- some on their bikes, some just jogging along -suddenly turned the corner which Anna was speeding towards. They shouted at her and tried to stop in time, but she had been going at such a breakneck speed that it was impossible. Anna's helmet lay forgotten with the nanny, and she tumbled from her hot pink ride in tangle of limbs. It was a blur of kids and bikes and crying, but Elsa remembered racing there, hoping and dreading and struggling to breath when she saw what was in front of her.

Anna lay on the ground, a small pool of blood slowly gathering on the ground. Her face was pale, her freckles dark, and everyone surrounding the fallen girl was silent.

A boy beside Elsa nudged her. "He-hey, is.. " A loud sniffle from him. "Isn't that your f-f-f-friend?" he blubbered.

Elsa fell onto her knees beside her prone best friend, cradling the other girl's head. "Anna-!" She sobbed.

"Hey, are you kids all right?"

The adults converged on the scene, and Anna was rushed to the hospital. Elsa's parents had found out what happened, and sat her down that night to talk.

"What you have done today was entirely irresponsible," her father said gravely. "The situation is getting out of hand. You must be more responsible, Elsa. You know better than to do this."

She nodded- it was the only thing she could do. The talk went on for a while- and it was rather one-sided -ending with this:

"Anna doesn't remember what happened."

Elsa gasped. "It was an accident! I didn't mean to... I didn't mean-"

Her parents looked at her with sad faces. "We think it's for the best if she remains ignorant of what happened, dear. And also..." They shared a look. "We think you and Anna should stop playing together so much."

The small girl looked crestfallen, but quietly nodded. Her parents knew best, after all. And if she thought about it, it had been her fault. If she hadn't encouraged Anna to escape the nanny, if she hadn't been there racing Anna, if she had been more responsible, if she had had more control...

Elsa cut off all contact with Anna from that day onwards. She took her parents' words to heart- responsibility was a key thing she needed to learn. She isolated herself, shut herself away from any other potential friends, but never quite managed the quell the irresponsibility, the desire for rebellion, lurking inside of her. Her parents encouraged her 'responsible' behavior, relieved, and gradually, in turn, grew distant from their daughter.

* * *

_Present_

Elsa's heart began to beat rapidly. What was she doing here? She could never tell Anna what had happened; in fact, Elsa was being superbly irresponsible right now! It was unforgivable. What she had done to Anna... She would never forgive Elsa.

She needed to escape. This instant. Elsa stood up suddenly, a wild look in her eyes, startling the whole table. "I need to leave. Now."

Anna looked at Elsa, a hurt and angry expression starting to bloom. "Why? _Why?_ I'm really trying to fix this, Elsa! I-"

"No, Anna. This won't work." Elsa turned away, starting to exit the booth. Jack followed her closely.

"Why? Why do you always do this?! You're such a-" her voice was cut off and muffled by Kristoff's hand.

The big blonde and the petite girl stared at each other, a challenge in the air between them. "Nuh-uh," he said, shaking his head. "You'll regret that."

Anna's brows furrowed, her face reddening. Elsa realized she had been staring, and turned quickly.

"Let's go, Jack."

He followed her silently, slipping his hand into hers again. Their fingers intertwined as they rushed out, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

They drove mindlessly, not talking. They didn't look at each other, didn't speak, just held hands and thought. And the strange, inexplicable feeling pulsed in the air between them.

"Hey..." Jack finally said. "It's getting kind of dark out. I should probably get you home."

Elsa sniffled and sighed. "I guess, but..."

She looked at him. Going home would wreck her. He looked over and saw this, a dangerous idea forming in his head.

"You could stay at my place." There. It was out in the open. "We're besties, aren't we?" He cracked a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

The way she looked at him after he said that was the most heartbreaking look he had ever seen. She looked at Jack as if he were her savior, and it was a such a begging, imploring look that he almost lost it. To see her like this, to see her face so bleak and hopeless, terrified him. Add onto that, Elsa was going to stay at his place tonight... In his bed... He gulped. What was he doing?

This was a perilous situation they were getting themselves into.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Ahah, see what I was talking about with the romance starting to amp up? Ooooooh this is getting exciting**

**Special thanks to all you followers/favorite-ers, and a big thanks to you lovelies who reviewed: OniNoKo , Lillyluvone , WickedgreenPhantom , maggilefay, lovinglovexx , HellokittyLover1026 , and all you guest reviewers! Big sloppy (eww) kisses and hugs to each and every one ;)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! **


	5. Chapter 5 - Scandalous Sweatpants

Chapter 5

There was a slight strain in the air between them as Jack and Elsa exited his car. The jingle of his car keys and shuffle of steps were the only noise between them.

"So..." Jack said, breaking the silence. "I'll take the couch; you can take my bed. My parents won't mind."

He looked so nervous Elsa couldn't help teasing him. "Bring home girls every night, do you? Naughty boy."

He sputtered for a few seconds, then laughed. "Guilty. Different girl every night."

"Nothing less for Jack Frost, huh?" she bumped their shoulders, a teasing smirk on her face.

"Nope. Only the best for me," he joked, opening the door to his house.

She cautiously walked in, perhaps anticipating a bombardment of questions from someone. She had been over a few times before, but had still never encountered his parents. But silence greeted the two, and she relaxed her shoulders as she learned that no one would ask her prying things. She glanced back at Jack, a question forming on her lips, when she noticed how tense he was. He seemed nervous, embarrassed, and flustered all at once, looking anywhere but her. The question was immediately forgotten.

He bit his lip, running a hand through his hair, and finally made eye contact with Elsa. The urge to bite that lip for him, to run her own hand through his silver hair, was startling. What if he could tell what she was thinking? Was she a bad friend for thinking these thoughts? Maybe she was selfish for wanting to keep him close, yet ignorant to the feelings she had, but Elsa didn't really care at the moment. She had a lot of things she wanted to do to him, but would never dare to try. She swallowed, cleared her head, and gave him a shaky smile. It was returned with a relieved one from Jack. She settled against the kitchen counter, relaxing. He followed her.

"Ah, so," he began somewhat awkwardly. "My parents aren't home often..."

"Being a pervert again, Jack?"

"I- What! No, no!" His voice came out in a rush, his words stumbling over one another. "Good intentions here, I swear." A finger pointed to his heart.

She smiled. She didn't doubt it for a second; Jack was the best person she knew. "I know."

Her smile looked so sad, but... But all Jack could think about was his kissing her senseless right then and there. Did that make him a bastard? He didn't know. Maybe he could get her to forget whatever was making her so sad. Maybe he could...

His hand was reaching towards her, on track to pull her towards him, when he realized this, and froze. He tried pulling it off as a reach for the counter near her and grimaced. Idiot, _idiot!_ He wanted to smack himself, repeatedly, he was so mortified. Why had he lost control? Could he no longer keep his feelings hidden? What the hell was wrong with him? And now, his arms caged her up against the counter. His heart pounded in his ears, drowning out all other sounds. Could she hear it? She was so close, maybe she could...  
Deep breaths, Jack thought, deep breaths. Concentrate. She was his _best friend_. He couldn't do this to her.

"Cookies?" she hopefully asked, bringing Jack back to the moment.

"Sorry?"

"Cookies. Can we make some?" She grinned hopefully. Her face was close to his. Distracting. What had she said? Right, cookies.

"What kinda cookies we talkin' bout, sweetheart?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, eliciting a bigger grin from Elsa.

"What kinda cookies you want?" She replied in a low voice, playing along.

"Anything from you, darling."

She paused. "You sure about that?"

"Course I am. I'm sure about everything I do."

"Think you can handle my cookies?" her face was grave now, no longer playful.

"Every single one of them."

"Every single one?" An unsure expression.

"Every single one."

"I'm-" She coughed. "_They're_ a lot to handle."

"It's okay. I can handle you... them."

"For how long, though?"

"For however long you want me to."

"You promise? If you're joking, I'll seriously hurt you," she warned.

"I promise," he whispered, utterly serious. A twinkle appeared in his eyes. "Scout's honor."

She stared at him, silent and assessing. Then she grinned. "You're gonna regret that decision, Jack Frost."

He wanted to laugh. Of course he wouldn't. He loved everything about Elsa. "And why is that?"

"Because," she murmured in a confiding tone, leaning in impossibly closer to him, eyes intent. "I suck at making cookies. In fact, I suck at baking and cooking in general, but I think we already established that with the pizza fiasco. You'll hate my cookies."

"I'll teach you," he answered calmly. "I'll teach you how to deal with anything... with any recipe."

The air crackled with electricity between them, but Elsa panicked. She ducked under his arm, and danced away with a taunting grin. Time for a topic change. "Are your cookies just as yummy as your pizza?"

He chased after her, a laugh bursting from him. "Yep, and _almost _as good as my-"_  
_

"Candy?" She finished for him, slipping in and out of his grip. A glint in her eyes.

"Exactly," he replied as he finally caught her, somewhat breathless.

"Then this'll be simply fantastic."

"Won't it?"

With that, they started the cookies. By the time the cookies were put in the oven, Elsa had managed to shove an impressive amount of dough into her mouth, sometimes surprising Jack with a handful shoved into his mouth. They had decided on the classic chocolate chunk, with Elsa watching Jack in a fascinated manner the whole time, sometimes dumping in more chocolate. After a suggestion from Jack to help stir, she explained that if she got too involved, it would become disastrous. He disagreed and laughed, but didn't ask her again.

After deciding on a movie to watch as the cookies baked, Elsa set up a cocoon for the two of them on the couch. She found some cozy blankets and pillows, arranging them until she was satisfied. Jack walked in and smiled at her work, while talking on the phone. He hung up with a smug grin aimed at Elsa.

She narrowed her eyes. She knew that look. "Seriously, Jack?"

He laughed in response.

A groan escaped her. "We eat _way _too much pizza as it is!"

"Not possible," he teased, and went back to check on the cookies.

"Oh yes it is!" She shouted back.

"No way!" he insisted loudly.

A happy sigh escaped her. Jack always got her mind off of things... But what was she going to tell her parents? The maids would definitely report that she hadn't come home tonight. They might even find out about the meeting with Anna. She gulped, but decided she would worry about things when the time came.

"Ta-da!" Jack reentered with a proud smile and a plate full of yummy-looking cookies. "Look delicious?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by Jack answering himself in a shrill, high-pitched voice. "Why, yes Jack, simply _marvelous_." He let out an obnoxiously fake giggle. "But not quite as delicious as you, Jack!"

He returned to his normal voice, waving his hand in an embarrassed way. "Oh stop, Elsa, you're making me blush."

Back to his horrifically shrill voice. "Oh but Jack, I could just eat you up in that apron."

"Oh, Elsa," he cried dramatically, "I-" He stopped, finally noticing her face. "What! What's that look for?"

"Oh, nothing," she changed her face from one of horror to one of nonchalance, shrugging. "Just a bit disturbed by my best friend's behavior."

He didn't have a chance to respond before she was charging towards him to steal the plate of cookies.

"Hey! Careful, careful, these are hot!"

"So am I!"

He guffawed, and surrendered them to the wild girl before him.

* * *

Their night ended with yawns and tired stretching. The movie had ended, the pizza was scarfed down by Jack and long gone, and the cookies devoured by Elsa. They looked at each other, slightly unsure of how to proceed.

"So..." An embarrassed laugh escaped her.

"You can use my shower?"

"Thanks... What should I wear?" She grimaced. "Sorry, it's just that it's hard for me to fall asleep in denim shorts."

He walked to a room, which emanated a feeling of 'Jack-ness', with Elsa following closely behind. She looked around, but found nothing noteworthy. A few books, shirts, and papers lay around, and his bed was messy, but no posters or scandalous magazines were to be seen. His bedroom had a subdued blue and gray color scheme, which fit Jack rather well. She turned around, finding him rummaging through a drawer, when he made a satisfied humming noise.

"Here," he said, handing her a large, dark bundle.

It was soft, feeling like a shirt and sweatpants. Maybe they smelled like him...

"It's all clean, I swear!" He scratched the back of his head nervously. "I'm not making you wear that or anything. But if you want to, you can shower and change in my bathroom."

A door in the corner of his room was pointed out.

"Thanks," she replied softly, heading towards it.

"I, uh, don't have girly shampoo and crap for you to use, so I'll go get my mom's stuff if you want?"

She turned back around, and nodded. "That'd be great, thanks."

* * *

After a rather self-conscious shower, Elsa slipped on Jack's shirt (after, of course, she put on her sports bra and undies. No commando action tonight, not on her watch). The shirt did indeed smell like him, she concluded after a large inhale and smile. She tried on the sweatpants he had given her, but observed with a growing sense of dread that they kept slipping down her hips. They wouldn't stay up no matter what she did, and the tie at the front was mysteriously missing. She blew out a frustrated breath; what was she going to do now? It would look ridiculous if she walked out in sagging pants. She decided the best option would be to just wing it, and balled up her own clothes in her hand. A deep breath later, she walked out as confidently as she could.

Holding up the ball of clothing in her hand, she asked calmly, "So, where should I stick this?"

Oh no, oh no oh no oh no, the pants were slipping, they were slipping down her hips... She squirmed awkwardly, trying to keep them up. No use, they slipped further down, down, down, down... "By the way, do you have another pair of sweatpants? These aren't really working." They were almost at her knees now. Elsa just gave up trying. They'd just keep falling, and the shirt covered her until her knees anyways. Her heart raced, though, the situation as it was...

He put down the book he had been reading and said distractedly, "Yeah, sure. I'll get a bag for your clothes, then get you another pair."

The pants were now pooled on the floor, and she was technically only in his shirt. Oh gosh, what if, what if-

He then padded out of the room, barely glancing at Elsa, like it really was an everyday occurrence for a girl to be in his bedroom, in only a shirt. Elsa wanted to punch a wall. No, she thought vehemently, she wanted to punch _him_. In the face. Multiple times.  
What was that? _What was that?! _Here she was, all mortified and uncertain - and the ninny acts as if this was any other day! As if the sight of her practically undressed did nothing for him- Her shoulders slumped. Maybe that was it. Maybe he didn't even see her as a girl... She trudged over to the bed, and flopped down on it. She was about to punch a pillow dejectedly when she got a whiff of his bed sheets.  
Oh god.  
Oh god oh god oh god.  
Jack-Frost _galore_. It didn't matter if she thought he was the biggest jerk in the planet. Elsa took a big sniff, and sighed contentedly. This was bliss.  
No, heaven.  
Oh the smells...

* * *

As Elsa flopped down on his bed, Jack leaned against the wall in the hallway, trying to get his rapidly beating heart under control. It had taken all he had not to stare at her like an idiot. Elsa, practically in only one of his shirts, was a sight to behold. His heart wouldn't calm down; after all, leaving the room to get her a bag had been an excuse. He hadn't been mentally prepared to see her like that. She had stepped out of his bathroom, hair still dripping, in his shirt which fell almost to her knees, and her pants rapidly falling. She looked like a freaking goddess. Was it wrong that seeing her in his clothes made him insanely happy? He didn't know the answer to that question, so he fled from his room, almost stumbling, so that he didn't do something he'd regret.

After a few seconds, he stood up resolutely, determined to get her a bag.

When he reentered his room, he halted in the doorway in confusion. Where had Elsa gone?... A sudden movement of his bed blankets made him drop the bag he had retrieved. He stared. What was Elsa doing? Was she... Was she _wriggling_ around in his bed? She was entirely underneath the covers; not even a single strand of her platinum blonde hair could be seen.

"Oh my god," came Elsa's muffled voice.

Wait, what had she found to make her say that? He panicked, wondering if he had left some dirty socks or something underneath the covers. He really hoped not.

"This is perfect," she sighed, barely audible.

He let out a silent relieved breath. Phew. "You know, if you like it that much, maybe you should sleep on it every night."

Shit. That hadn't come out right.

Elsa flew upright, her arms shoving the blankets down. Her hair was a tangled mess, her face flushed redder than he had ever seen it, and a shocked expression on her face.

Her mouth worked silently for a few moments until her voice finally came out. "Um... I can explain."

She was horribly cute when distressed, Jack thought. Maybe he was sadistic, but he wanted her to squirm some more. So he raised an eyebrow and leaned against the doorframe, waiting.

She blinked a few times, until the words flew from her mouth. "I was doing some investigating."

"Oh yeah?" He pushed off from the door, slowly moving forward.

"Yeah!" Her face was now challenging, fiery, defensive. "Whatcha gonna do 'bout it, huh?"

He halted on his way towards her- what was he going to do, join her on the bed? - and smiled. "Nothing."

"I- I thought so!"

"Just thought it a bit strange that you were..."

"I was _what_?!"

He backed away, a familiar mischievous glint in his eyes. "You were sniffing my sheets?"

"I-I-I-"she sputtered, getting redder with each second.

"Pervert~~" he sang, grinning. "I _smell _a pervert!Who's the pervert now?"

She looked mortified and furious. Time to go.

Running away to the safety of the hallway, he heard an enraged howl and the slam of his door, and bent over laughing.

"Goddamn jerk!" he heard Elsa mutter. "What the hell! So cocky, so what if I was sniffing his bed, I was only... I was investigating! Yeah, that's right! Investigating! ..."

She continued muttering to herself angrily, and Jack tried to quiet his laughter. He couldn't handle it anymore.

"So, if you still want those sweatpants..." he called out to her, waiting.

"No, I don't! Not anymore, thank you very much!" she yelled.

"Alright, suit yourself."

"I _will!_" A long pause, then a final resentful mutter. "Asshole."

God, she was adorable when she was mad.

Jack leisurely walked to the couch they had been sitting on earlier, smiling to himself. It had been a good night. No, scratch that, a freaking fantastic night.

Usually he only slept in his boxers, but he kept his clothes on just in case Elsa stumbled in. Ahh, he thought, stretching out on the sofa, he was such a thoughtful friend. He snorted and shook his head. No really, he was.

* * *

**A/N: Yaaaayyyyy that was fun! Thanks for reading, and an especially big thanks to all you followers/favorite-ers, and last but not least, reviewers! : maggilefay (Oh my god, your comment was HILARIOUS!), WickedgreenPhantom (preach it sister), Livia Toric , OniNoKo, JelsaBacon4ever, and all you guest reviewers! I appreciate every single one!  
As for Anna and Elsa not being sisters, yes, I realize that was sassy of me, but I had to think about it realistically. In modern times, how easy would it be to avoid contact with your sister for 10+ years if you lived in the same house? And for your parents to encourage that? Ooooh that's just messed up, so I changed it to best friends (you'll find out they _are_ related, just not sisters)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**


	6. Chapter 6 - Sir Sexy Apron

Chapter 6

Jack didn't fall asleep for a long time, and it was a fitful sleep at that. Concern as to whether his parents coming home would wake Elsa up, concern as to whether he had gone too far, concern as to what would happen between Elsa and Anna, concern as to how Elsa's parents would react to this... Jack knew they were strict and (in his opinion) ridiculous, but would they punish her? Maybe he should take the blame...

The slamming of the front door roused him, and he saw his parents stalk in. They didn't even spare him a glance, instead tensely walking to their bedroom and slamming that door, too. He sighed, wondering if Elsa was a light sleeper. He got up unsteadily, stretching, and shuffled over to his bedroom door. A yawn overtook his mouth. Hesitantly pushing the door open, and wincing at the slight squeal, he peeked in. It wasn't creepy to look at her sleeping, he assured himself. He was just checking up on her, like any good friend would do. And if he accidentally saw some leg or something, who could blame him?

What he saw was alarming. The faint moonlight highlighted the scene. All the blankets lay kicked on the floor, Elsa barely covered by his shirt. Her face was contorted as if she were in pain, and she cried out.

"No," she whimpered. "Please, believe me..."

Her body twisted, and turned to the other side. Jack didn't know what to do. Should he wake her up? Or should he just leave her alone?

Her arm flung out suddenly, and she writhed on her back as if struggling. Her feet kicked at the bed, one hand desperately clawing at the bedsheet.

"Don't leave me alone," her voice cried out softly.

He couldn't take it anymore. Gathering up the fallen blankets, he marched them to his desk. Once that was finished, he determinedly went to the side of his bed and took a deep breath.

His hand reached out to touch the sleeping girl's shoulder, and shook it lightly.

"Elsa." He shook her again, a little more forcefully. "Elsa, wake up."

He kept at it until her body slowly came to a stop. Her blue eyes peeked open sleepily, and she blinked a few times. Elsa started.

"_Jack? _Why-" She stopped, thinking. "Oh. Right."

"Yeah," he cleared his throat, looking anywhere but Elsa and her crooked attire. "Yeah. You were having a nightmare, and I thought I should wake you."

She paled slightly. "Right..." Her voice was a whisper.

"You need something? Er, hot chocolate? Milk? Cookies... Anything?"

She looked distraught. "No, I... Thanks though."

"Nothing?" He looked worried. "Nothing I can do?"

Her cheeks flushed, and she looked away. "No."

"Okay." Jack didn't believe her, but he wasn't going to push her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She looked at him sharply, but his eyes were soft, caring. Could she tell him?

He seemed to sense her hesitating and twisted his fingers by his lips, miming the lock and key motion. "My lips are sealed."

That wasn't what she was worried about... Her eyebrows furrowed. He'd think she was messed up. Well, she was, wasn't she?

"Trust me," his voice whispered, and grabbed her hands. "You can, you know."

Elsa looked up, and stared into his earnest blue eyes. She could see herself reflected in them, and wavered for another second. She tugged on his hands, tugging Jack towards her. "Sit down?"

Jack turned away and released her hands, and she fought back a disappointed sigh. What had she been expecting, anyways? It wasn't like he was obligated to-

The bed bent down, bearing Jack's weight. He had gone to the desk to get a blanket, and came back. Spreading it over the two of them, he got comfy. He was nervous as hell and kind of felt reckless, but settled calmly down in his bed.

They sat facing each other, the faint moonlight shining between them. "I'm here for you," he whispered, and squeezed her hand. "I promised."

She squeezed it back, fighting the urge to cry. "Yeah, you did."

"So, tell me anything you want."

She swallowed. "Anna."

It was all Elsa could say at the moment, but he just nodded. She continued, gathering her courage.

"We used to be best friends. We're cousins, and both come from really rich families..."

Her voice was soft, hesitant, and lonely. Her eyes were in a faraway place as the story unfolded.

* * *

Elsa woke up in an unfamiliar bed, and froze until she realized what had happened. But that didn't explain why she was so warm... Or why... She gasped in realization. Had they... Had they really?

But no, she wasn't imagining it. They had fallen asleep together. Jack's legs were entangled with her own bare ones, his chest rising and falling against her back, one of his arms over her side clasping her hands. His breath ruffled Elsa's hair slightly, giving her tingles. She swallowed, realizing that she was only in a shirt. She had kicked off the sweatpants after slamming the door earlier... Was Jack awake?

She twisted her neck as slowly and discretely as possible, peered at Jack's face. Good, he was still asleep. But oh lordy, that face... How did he look so good? His silver hair was disheveled, just the right amount, his lashes surprisingly dark and sooty, his lips just inches away...

NO. A loud alarm bell went off in her mind. Big no-no. That would be sexual molestation of her best friend. She shook her head. Her eyes drifted back to his lips. Maybe...

"_No." _Wait, did she just say that out loud? Jack moved slightly, and Elsa rapidly turned back to how she originally had been. Her heart beat rapidly, and if he wanted to, Jack could definitely feel it through her back. She held her breath as he continued to wake up. What would his reaction be?

A yawn sounded behind her, and then a startled "Whoa."

He cleared his throat, and seconds ticked by. What was he doing?

His hand ghosted over her elbow, making her wonder if she had imagined it. But not. It continued upwards, drifting gently over her arm. And with it came a trail of goosebumps. His hand paused when it reached her neck and her tangled hair, as if unsure. After a few seconds, it descended and glided through the strands. They twirled about a finger, almost causing Elsa to shiver, when suddenly, Jack stopped.

"Shit." The bed creaked, and his legs left hers. His voice was deliciously raspy and rough from sleep. "What the hell am I doing?"

The need to call out, to tell Jack that it was okay, that she wanted it, that she needed it, almost made her turn around and command him to come back. But it was too late, and Jack had already departed and closed the door with a soft click, and Elsa was left feeling cold and alone. She sighed. Should she pretend to sleep some more? She decided yes. Maybe she could convince herself it was just a dream...

...

"Hey." Jack's face hovered above her own, as she drowsily blinked.

"Hmm?"

"It's ten in the morning, and I tried making some breakfast..."

Elsa perked up. "Oh?"

"Yeah." He scratched his head nervously and looked away. "But, I'm not sure how well it went."

A fake gasp from her. "You, Jack Frost, didn't create a masterpiece in the kitchen?"

He pouted at her (making Elsa struggle not to gasp for real) and narrowed his baby blues. "Yeah, well. Breakfast isn't my thing."

"Huh." She grinned and poked the arm not scratching his head. "Didja at least wear your designated 'Sir Sexy' apron while you cooked? The one I bought for you?"

"That's a dangerous question. What if I said yes?" His eyes twinkled playfully.

"I'd say boo you for not letting me see it?"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Anything else?"

She stared at him. "Then I'd say put it on again so I can take a picture of you in it."

"Huh."

"Yeah, and I'd ask for you to _only_ wear the apron."

Jack's eyes grew huge. He sputtered what sounded suspiciously like a 'fu-', caught himself, and looked away again. Cleared his throat. "_Only _the apron?"

"Well, yeah." Elsa smiled innocently. "With pants of course. No shirt, though."

He looked at her suspiciously. "I cooked you breakfast. Why should I?"

"Good question." She grabbed his shirt, bringing him closer, so that she could lean in to whisper by his ear. "What if I say this: I'll make it worth your time?"

She could hear him gulp. Was he thinking of earlier, when he had woken up beside her? Was he ever going to say something? Should she? No.

She leaned back and grinned evilly. "That's what you wanted to hear, right?"

"I- What-" Jack's face colored slightly, and took a moment to compose himself. "I do not appreciate these unfounded accusations. Blasphemy! Fraud! Lies! I demand a refund!"

"Kidding, yikes!" But she wasn't, not really. "Now let's see what you cooked up for me." She reached as if to throw the sheets off.

Panicking for a second, worrying that she would get up without pants and he would have a resulting heart attack, Jack rushed to his dresser, threw a random pair of pants at her, and ran blindly out the door. "I'll be waiting!" He called.

She stared after him, absentmindedly playing with the new pair of sweatpants. Maybe she should just wear her own clothes, now.

* * *

After a rather disappointing breakfast, Elsa sat at the kitchen island, trying to delay her return as much as possible.

"You know, maybe you should improve your omelets?"

"I-"

"And your pancakes. Though, I haven't tried those yet. But I assume they're pretty horrific."

"You-"

"Ooooh, and waffles! And your muffins!"

"I'll have you know, my muffins are perfectly delicious!" He huffed indignantly.

"Your buns, too, I suppose?"

"Yes! Those too!" A confused expression. "Wait, buns? Why buns, those aren't even a breakfast food- Oh. _Ooooh_, you dirty, dirty pervert."

"It wasn't _that _perverted."

He gave her a little glare. "Oh yes it was. My poor frail heart can't handle that sort of thing, dear."

"Oh spare me," she said, rolling her eyes. "You do WAY worse than that."

"Yeah, but you love it, don't deny it." A grin.

"Yeah, well-"

A shrill ringing interrupted her mid-sentence.

"Hold on, I gotta get that."

He answered the phone and responded (in between long pauses) to whomever was on the other line with 'yes' or 'no'. He hung up looking paler than he had picking it up.

"Elsa..." Jack trailed off, not looking at her.

"... What?"

"Your parents." He looked up finally, his blue eyes sad and unhappy. "They want you home."

She looked at him in confusion. "How did they find out I was here?"

"I-I don't know. But I gotta get you home."

She sighed resignedly. "Okay."

* * *

She trudged away from Jack's car towards her house. Elsa didn't want to open the door, didn't want to face the consequences.

But it didn't matter what she wanted. When she went inside, they relentlessly grilled her and scolded her. Worst of all, they demanded she refrain from further contact with Jack Frost. She glared at them for a long moment, and tried an escape up the stares. But they wouldn't allow it- she only got a worse reprimanding. Her behavior, according to her parents, was inexcusable and horrifically out of line. If she didn't comply, they warned her, drastic measures would ensue.

"Are you done?" She said, cutting them off.

They paused, assessing her. "For now, yes. Please go to your room. The maids will call you down for dinner."

They turned and glided away. "Yeah, nice to see you, too," she muttered at their retreating backs.

* * *

Elsa didn't listen to what her parents had told her. For the rest of the week, she refused to 'refrain from further contact with Jack Frost'. Screw that. Screw them. Why should she listen to her parents when she barely ever saw them? It's not like they actually cared about _her_. Nope. So she ignored them, and threw caution to the wind. They couldn't say anything, either, until Friday. That was the day they came back from another business trip. Oh, but she wouldn't be home. Oh no. She'd be out spending her Friday with Jack.

And she would enjoy every moment of it.

* * *

**A/N: ****Thanks to all you followers/favorite-ers! Also, thank you reviewers! Making my day, you amazing you's! Shout out to:**

**Aw-some25 , OniNoKo , Crazylazylaptop , davidholguin2 , SAshleigh0211 , markwyldespinebuster , TheWildeFiles , glee131313 , maggilefay (I may slightly love you and your amazing comments, ahem.) , Lillyluvone , and all you lovely, lovely guest reviewers! I am so glad y'all liked the last chapter and/or found it funny, you're all AMAZING!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**


	7. Chapter 7 - Numb

Chapter 7

It was Friday afternoon, ten minutes after school had been dismissed.

"So, what are we doing today?" Elsa asked, head stuck in her locker. "Movie? Can't remember the last time we did that."

Jack unwrapped a candy and popped it in his mouth. "Mm, but movies are boring."

Her head popped out and glared at him. "No, they're not."

"Yes, they are." Her eyes narrowed.

"_No_, they're _not_."

"Oh yes they are." More narrowing.

"But they're NOT."

"They really are."

"_Jack_," a warning tone in her voice.

He raised a silver eyebrow and rolled the candy in his mouth. "All right, all right. Let's agree to disagree, shall we?"

"Hmph." Her head went back in the locker.

"Actually," Jack mentioned nonchalantly, "I was thinking more along the lines of fro-yo."

Her head popped back out and a grin appeared. "Yes, yes, and more yes!"

A roll of the candy and a quick smile. "So, I'm forgiven?"

Her head disappeared again. "Of course... After all," she muttered into the dark depths of her locker, "I'm a sucker for you."

A teasing grin appeared on Jack. "Aww, really? That's so cute. You deserve a sucker. You want a sucker?"

A scowl aimed in his direction. "Oh, shut up."

He grinned wider. "Oh, if you don't want a sucker, I have something else you can suck on."

A dull, repetitive banging sounded from within Elsa's locker. "I have been reduced to hitting my head against the wall because of you," came her muffled, annoyed voice.

"Oh, but you love me Elsa, don't deny it."

A pause and the banging stopped. Her response was so quiet Jack almost couldn't make it out. "Yeah, I love you."

He clenched his jaw. Bit down on the candy, cracking it. If only she meant it the way he loved her...

...

Half an hour later, the two stood in line at a frozen yogurt place. Jack grabbed two bowls, blocking Elsa from taking hers.

"I don't trust you with making it for me," she tried to say sternly, but failing. "You'll probably put in everything!"

He laughed, blue eyes dancing. "You know me so well." He slung an arm around her shoulders.

She let out a frustrated breath, disturbing the blonde bangs in her face. "You better be paying."

"But of course, Elsa. Nothing less from a gentleman, right?"

"Oh sure, sure. You're _definitely_ a gentleman."

He turned his head and pouted at her. "You know, I'm sensing some serious sarcasm and sass right there."

Elsa turned to look back at him, trying as hard as possible to ignore that pout. She snorted softly. "Really?"

He grinned, and gave her an eskimo kiss. "Ah, you're adorable."

She crinkled her delicate nose in response, cheeks tinging pink. She was a bit flustered. "Sure. Anyways, get going! Those bowls aren't gonna fill themselves!"

Jack laughed once more before untangling himself from her, his eyes crinkling up just so. He looked at her as he rolled up his sleeves and flexed jokingly. "Let's do this!"

Face scrunching up in concentration, he was true to his word and very seriously piled on every topping he could fit. And, also true to his word, he paid for both. They sat down at a small table, and munched in content silence. It was winter (the end of it, though), but the cool weather didn't stop them from enjoying the snack.

After a few minutes, Jack broke the silence. "So Elsa, I've been meaning to talk to you about this. I know it's not my business, but I really think you should talk to Anna again."

He waited for a response, to which he received a slow nod.

"And also..." He looked slightly uncomfortable. "We should talk to your parents."

Her mouth opened to respond, but he hurried to continue. "Together. I don't want you to face them alone."

Elsa sighed, but gave a reluctant nod. Her spoon pushed the heaping toppings in random circles. "I agree, Jack, but it could get really ugly. For you _and _me."

Their hands intertwined, but neither knew when it had happened or who had initiated it. "It's okay, Elsa," he said softly. "We're best friends, and I don't want to cause you trouble, but they shouldn't be able to treat you like this."

She looked down at her frozen yogurt, uncomfortable and sad and slightly ashamed. "I..."

"Here," Jack said brightly, with a sudden realization. "We'll write out what we - or you - wanna tell them on a piece of paper. That way, if we get intimidated, we'll still know what to say!"

She swallowed, but sat straighter with a look of determination on her face. She looked back into his eyes. "That's a good idea."

"We'll do it together."

"Yeah," She whispered, almost wistfully. "Together."

They sat there, slowly eating their fro-yo as they brainstormed and jotted down ideas. Their confidence grew, their spirit grew, their smiles grew. They could do this. The bell tinkled above them as they finally exited the shop, and hopped into Jack's car. Their hands interlaced.

* * *

When they arrived at Elsa's house, only a few lights were on. She was confused. Her parents always had the house staff blast the lights.

"Are you feeling all right?" came Jack's concerned voice.

"Yeah..." she replied, distracted. "Just... Something's up."

The doorbell rang, and rang, and rang, until finally a maid showed up.

She looked distressed and angry. "Where have you been? We've been trying to reach you for the last two hours!"

Elsa hadn't even noticed her phone vibrating, but saw then that she had some 60 missed calls. Strange.

"Are my parents home?"

A strangled sound came from the maid, and she looked away, her hand covering her mouth.

"What?" She shoved past the maid, looking around blindly for clues. "What's wrong? What happened?"_  
_

Jack tried to follow Elsa inside, but the maid stopped him. "Please leave."

"No! No, I need to be here when Elsa-"

"Leave. You can come back later."

"I think I should stay," he insisted. "Right, Elsa?"

But Elsa wasn't listening, too focused on what could be wrong. The maid stared at Jack, and shook her head slowly. "She won't want you around to hear this."

Jack looked to Elsa for confirmation. "Elsa, are you sure?"

She gave a small distracted nod. It stung. Was she even paying attention? He hesitated, but turned and walked away. He'd come back later.

Her blue eyes followed his retreating form for a few seconds, then returned to the house. Searching. Searching for something, anything.

"Miss Elsa," the maid said (once Jack was gone), her usually cold tone replaced by one of uncertainty. "Your parents..."

Elsa stilled, and turned to face the woman. Stared at her. "What about them?"

"They... just a few hours ago... Your parents- they died."

Silence. "I'm sorry- what?"

"Your parents died. You were out when the police came. They said a car blew a red and..."

The woman's voice faded from Elsa's hearing, just as Elsa's vision started fading at the edges. She stumbled backwards, disbelieving. No, they couldn't have. It wasn't possible. She would've known, right? Would've felt it. She was going to tell them tonight with Jack that... No. Her heart ached painfully, and she stumbled again. Turned rapidly. Ran and stumbled up the stairs. Into her room. Slammed the door. Sat against it, the ache spreading throughout her whole body. It was so potent, she wondered if the world could feel her pain, could sense that something had gone so horribly wrong, that a girl was now orphaned and alone and... The thoughts ran and stumbled through her mind.

Until she was numb. And she sat there some more, ignoring the knocking on her door and the ringing of the phone and the stars twinkling in the dark sky and then the sky lightening and the sun rising and the slow tear that slipped down her cheek.

Maybe her parents hadn't been the kindest of people, but they still loved her in their own way. And now, she had no family. Her shoulders slumped, her vision blurring.  
And she sat some more, staring at nothing.

Finally, someone pushed the door open, and she slid with it.

"Miss Elsa? Miss Elsa- Oh! Oh my, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." A young maid stared at Elsa, a pitying expression on her face. Her tone softened. "Miss, your family is here to discuss some things with you."

No response.

"Miss, I said-"

"I heard you." Her voice sounded dead. Emotionless.

"Oh." The maid looked around nervously. "Should I help you get ready for them?"

"No."

"I'm not sure you're in a state to do it yourself, though."

"I don't care."

"I-"

"Leave."

The maid huffed and shut the door. Her voice came muffled through it. "They're expecting you in five minutes, Miss."

"Okay."

Footsteps sounded, and Elsa sat staring at nothing. But alas, it was time to get up. She slowly stood, black spots darkening her vision and she swayed. Her hand slapped against a wall for support. She could do this. She had to. Her footsteps were unhurried as she shuffled down, down, down. Elsa was a mess, even in her numb state she could tell, but she didn't care. She sat down on a couch, staring blankly at her relatives. They looked back at her pityingly and with a touch of disdain. Probably because of how she looked right now.

"Elsa," one of them said. "Your parents..."

The conversation was slow, and it was painful, and it was shocking, even though Elsa had already been filled to the brim with shock.

"They, they did what?!" The first whisper of emotion-anger-came back to her voice. "They can't- _you_ can't make me!"

"I'm afraid we can, dear."

"No, you can't."

"You have no money. And we will not give you any if you disobey us and your parents' wishes."

"But that's unfair. That's horrible." She stared at them, horrified and hurt. Her voice came out as a whisper. "That's monstrous."

"Elsa, it really is for your own good. You can't be hanging out with these kinds of people. Dear, your parents were lenient with you."

A few mutters, one clear enough for it to reach Elsa's ears. "Too lenient if you ask me."

She looked up sharply. Silence, as she thought it over and began planning. They stared at her expectantly.

"Fine." She looked each in the eye, some of them flinching slightly at her expression. "I'll do it. I'll move away in the middle of school year for your stupid reputation and values."

Someone tutted and she raised her chin, daring someone to correct her.

A woman cleared her throat. "And, of course, college. Right, dear? You'll go to the college we choose for you. Your parents mentioned you wouldn't inherit until you were 21. We'll look at their wills to confirm, though."

Elsa turned her face away so they wouldn't see her anger and sadness. Nodded.

"You can't contact any of your friends here, either..." The woman continued speaking, droning on about how her new cell phone would be monitored with password protected restraints against any number not pre-programmed into it. A new computer, also heavily monitored.

"Oh, and we have eyes, Elsa. If you try to call your little friend-Jack, was it?-on a payphone, we'll know."

She glared. "What can you possibly do if I decide to? I'm 18 and a legal adult in months."

"Oh, Elsa," a condescending male voice said. A little sigh as if Elsa were silly for asking.

"What? No really, I can't see what you can do to me."

"Oh, we can do things all right. And really, I don't think you want to find out what we'll do."

He was serious, his stare intense. Threatening. He smiled, but it was empty. He was creepy, and Elsa unintentionally shivered. Seeing this, he grinned for real, as if delighted.

She stared at him, distrust plain in her features. "Fine."

"Oh, and dear?" A woman said after a few minutes of silence.

Elsa looked up.

"We scheduled a flight for you to head to your new school. It's tonight."

"But- but don't you all have to enroll me still? What about-"

"It's been taken care of, Elsa."

With that, all of her relatives stood up. The conversation was over. She had a sudden idea, and searched all the faces. They weren't there. Anna's parents weren't there. Should she feel relieved? Elsa thought she should, but all she could feel... was numbness. It was back.

She watched them leave, and sat in her seat for a long time.

Tonight.

Tonight.

Tonight.

To- _Jack_. Jack, what about Jack?! He had left, he didn't know what had happened, what if she left without seeing him, what if-?

She stood up suddenly, and ran to the kitchen, grabbing a protein bar. Charged upstairs, changed, threw her hair in a ponytail, snagged a sheet of paper and a pencil just in case.

And then she walked out the side door, on her way to Jack's house. After all, her laptop and cell phone had already been confiscated, and she was sure the land phone was being monitored.

Elsa set a brisk pace, and crossed her fingers he would be home.

* * *

**A/N: Omg guys, so crazy. I was writing this, and all of a sudden I hear my backdoor neighbor's kid singing "Do you want to build a snow man?"! AHHH!**

**Anyways, thank you thank you thank you to all you favorite-ers, followers, and last but not least, reviewers! Jalyss , Hanazawa-Tsuki (thanks, that means a lot to me!), Bumbleboy92 (cannot tell you how happy your comments made me! So nice), HopelessRomantic183 (I know what you mean! aaaahhh maybe I made her parents TOO strict... oh well o.O), Brickgirl101 , OniNoKo (I actually took some inspiration from your comment, just to let you know! Helped me begin this chapter! So thanks!) , TheWildeFiles (ooooooooooooh I guess we'll have to wait and see? ;) , The Flash Pirates (ah, I'm so happy you liked it that much! SCORE!) , LilMate (you read my mind), Arialene , PreparedForZombies , and all you guesties! Thank you all for your reviews, glad to know you're liking it!  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

Also, check out my new Jelsa story! I'm finishing this one before I get rolling with the next one, but it's called "Free Me". A bit more adult, if you're interested! THANKS


	8. Chapter 8 - Letters

Chapter 8

It took a while, and she tripped a few times, but Elsa finally arrived at Jack's front door. She stood before it for a minute, worrying. Smoothing her hair back and taking a deep breath, she rang the door bell. She waited, and listened to it stop ringing.

Silence.

Her hand reached out to ring it again when the door was suddenly pulled open, and a woman appeared. She had brown hair and hazel eyes- such a different coloring than Jack, yet a face similar to his.

The woman stared at Elsa, expressionless. Elsa stared back.

"Yes?" she said finally, her voice monotone.

Elsa clenched the pen in her hand. "I'm Elsa, Jack's friend. Is he home?"

"I don't think so..." she paused, thinking. "No, he's not."

That was a disappointment, but maybe he'd be back soon. She'd wait. "Do you know when he'll be back?"

"No, I don't."

"Well, could you please tell me when he left?"

"I would, but I don't know."

Elsa stared at the woman before her in confusion. Shouldn't his mom know? Well... now what should she do?

"Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Elsa almost shook her head, then remembered her paper. "Yes, actually, there is. Could you give him a letter for me?"

"Sure." She held out her hand.

"Hold on a minute, please. I'm gonna write it right now."

She quickly turned to the side of the house and started writing.

_Jack-_

_I came to your house today, but you weren't home. Your mom said she'd give this to you.  
I really wish I could see you.  
Jack, when you came to my house yesterday, I found out my parents died. Car crash.  
I know you didn't like them, but in a way I loved them and I really miss them. I don't  
know what to do, and I really need you right now, but_

(she paused, her hand shaking. Took a deep breath)

_but my relatives came by today. They enrolled me in a school (I don't know the name),  
and I'm going on a plane there. Tonight. They took away my cell phone and my laptop,  
and told me they'd give me restricted and monitored new ones once I was settled in.  
They told me they have eyes in the new school and so I can't call you even from a  
payphone. I swear to you though that I'll write you. Every day, if I can. They want  
me to go to a college they picked, but I have a plan. I remember we decided that  
we'd go to XX University together, and we will. Just wait a few years for me, okay?  
I'll be there eventually.  
Please don't forget me._

_Elsa_

Figuring she had made Jack's mom wait long enough, she tore the paper in half, saving the part she hadn't written on, and folded up the letter. Handed it to her. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Frost."

The woman was already shutting the door, looking distracted. "Sure, sure."

The door shut.

And Elsa stood there, worrying and wondering and planning. She turned around and walked towards her other destination. She memory was a bit foggy, but Anna's house was pretty much permanently imprinted in her mind. She had another letter to deliver.

...

The plane touched down near midnight. A town car took her to her new school, which looked exactly as she had pictured it. Even in the dark, she could make out the pristine grounds, the brick and ivy-covered edifices, the ancient tall trees. If she were here willingly, she might have had something positive to say about it all. But now, all she could do was glare at it all.

"Your dorm is in XX Hall, room number 46, and you won't have a roommate. However, if you need anything, have any questions, contact..."

She tuned the man giving her information out. Figures she wouldn't have a roommate. Well, actually it was a gift. She wouldn't have to wonder every day whether or not her roommate was one of the 'eyes' her family had talked about.

They stopped in front of her dorm. The man handed her a key card that she had to swipe to get in. Apparently, it was also her room key card. He finally left, rambling something about when meal times were and all that.

She swiped in, walked unseeingly past the front lobby, and headed towards her room. Her luggage was stacked neatly outside of it already, and she clutched her new schedule in her hand. Swiped her card. Opened the door.

Once she was done dragging in all her suitcases and bags, she sunk against the door and sighed. Looked around and found to her delight that she had an on-suite bathroom. That was nice.

And then she flopped on her bed, not even caring her flats were still on, and immediately fell asleep.

* * *

Elsa woke up before her alarm clock even went off. The sun trickled in past the blinds, and she went through her morning routine. Showered. Dressed. Hair. Makeup. Then she killed time by putting away all her stuff, and stared at the clock on her bedside table. Still five minutes before she had to leave for breakfast. Even if she left in five minutes, she'd be really early.

She shrugged, and got up to leave. She didn't really care if she got there before anyone else and sat alone. Before Jack (she felt a little stab in her heart as the thought of him invaded her mind) she had always been a loner.

She could deal with it for one more semester.

Turned out there was quite a few students already getting their breakfast, but Elsa avoided eye contact with all of them. She couldn't afford making friends here, not when any one of them could be a spy. With her waffle and fruit on a plate, she walked to the back of the room and sat down at a table that looked like it hadn't seen much love. Then she pulled out a book and her new schedule from her bag, and started eating.

No one sat next to her, which was a relief.

In all of her classes, she could feel the stares. She could hear the whispers. But she ignored it all and instead observed them back. A few students tried to talk to her, but she could tell they weren't really friendly. They either were spies or trying to get gossip on her. So she stared at them, and gave them responses she knew would get them to back off. After all, it had worked on everyone else... except Jack.

Her heart hurt. Her parents, dead. Her Jack, gone. Loneliness had never felt so achingly permanent as it did then.

It turned out, it wasn't nearly as permanent as it seemed. The next Monday, a certain redhead and blonde plopped down at her breakfast table. Elsa stared at them. Was she hallucinating? She rubbed her eyes.

"Anna?" She turned to the blonde. "Kristoff?"

They were both grinning at her.

"Why are you guys... Why are you here?"

"I got your letter, Elsa. And when I found out what had happened ten years ago, I couldn't _not_ forgive you! It wasn't your fault. But I think I understand why you ignored me, I mean, I know what your parents are like and what they probably said, but when I looked for you, you were gone!"

Anna's face change from excited to sad. Her bright green eyes darkened with the emotion. "I can't tell you how sad I am about your parents, Elsa. I just can't believe they passed away."

Kristoff rubbed Anna's back comfortingly and looked at Elsa.

Too many sympathetic eyes. "Yeah, well... Thanks." Elsa looked away. Could all of those ten years really be forgiven just like that? "You still haven't said why you're here."

"Right! Well, I asked my parents about you-which is how I found out about why and where you moved. So then I asked them to send me here, to this school, too!"

Elsa looked at Kristoff and raised an eyebrow. "And him?"

He narrowed his eyes. " 'him'? Really?"

Her gaze flickered to him, then back to Anna. "Well?"

He huffed, but Anna plowed on. "Well, it's not like I could leave my best friend back home without me!" Elsa winced, and Anna's eyes widened. "Er, er, um... Anyways, so I got them to send Kristoff here, too! Took a bit of persuading, but I managed. Plus his parents are pretty lax, so that helped."

If only she could do the same with Jack... She sighed. "So when are you going back?"

Anna smiled and Kristoff looked at Elsa as if amused.

"Elsa, did you not hear her?" he asked, brown eyes laughing. "We're staying here. With you. No matter what you say."

Speechless. Anna laughed and nodded. "Yeah, and I don't know about you, but I love this campus! I think I might just stay here the rest of high school!"

A groan came from Kristoff, but he was smiling. "Really?"

"Don't pretend to be negative, pal, I know you like it just as much as I do!"

He rolled his eyes. Sat up, as if an idea came to him. "Hey, you think there are reindeer up here, this far north?"

...

Despite her distrust, Elsa knew that Anna and Kristoff weren't there to spy on her. She had a gut feeling about it.

The weeks passed quickly. Elsa secretly worked at a part-time job (eventually the other two found out about it, but promised not to say anything) saving up money. The trio had fun together, hung out.  
Anna and Kristoff were no replacement of Jack, but at least she wasn't alone. Despite her acceptance of loner-hood, it wasn't like she particularly enjoyed it. Yes, it was easier and yes, she could do whatever the hell she wanted, but... When Elsa was alone, Jack was all she could think about. Anna and Kristoff took her mind off of Jack.

Like, how she couldn't make jokes with him, couldn't dare him to do something, couldn't share candy or pizza or _anything _with Jack, couldn't see Jack's face, couldn't watch Jack whip something up in the kitchen, couldn't hear Jack's laugh, couldn't do anything with Jack... Her daily letters saved her.

But she never heard back from him.

At first, she wondered why. Why wouldn't he write back? Was he too angry? Was he too upset? Or maybe, had he gotten annoyed with her? Forgotten her? The last thought wounded her the most.  
Eventually though, she found comfort. Perhaps, he wasn't writing back because he was thinking of her. Maybe he worried she would get caught if people found out she was receiving letters. Or maybe, he was simply waiting for her, like she had told him to. Or maybe, they had moved... and forgotten to send a forwarding address. Jack's parents seemed like forgetful people, she reasoned, so it was a likely possibility.

Despite the pain of being the only one writing, she kept at it. How couldn't she? If she didn't, she would go crazy.

And... Elsa wondered if Jack noticed what she always wrote at the end. The '_I love you Jack Frost_'. Writing it always made her heart pound. She wondered what saying it to his face, just a year or two from now, would do to her.

Because she would. She would say it to him, to his face, while she looked him in the eye. And if he thought she meant it as a friend, she'd show him just how friendly she could be.

Just a little more saving, just a little more hard-work in her studies, and she'd be able to apply for a scholarship at XX University.

She could do this.

* * *

**A/N: So. That's that. Exciting? Hope it was! Maybe you can see where I'm going with this...  
(If you haven't already, maybe look at my other Jelsa fanfic "Free Me"? It's a bit more adult, so just a fair warning)**

**Big thank you to all you favorite-ers and followers, and let's not forget you reviewers! : Livia Toric , lovinglovexx , WickedgreenPhantom (guess we'll see in the next chapters, I swear they won't be as sad as this!) , The Flash Pirates (ahh you caught that? good eye ;)) , markwyldespinebuster (haha, yeah I hope I didn't disappoint) , meatmecha (ahh, thank you so much! *hugs*) , Bumbleboy92 , MissChoe99 (hahah right?) , OniNoKo (omgggg it's like you read my mind! hope you like what happens next :)) , hydro0228 (why thank you!) , Brickgirl101 , RinRinLizzie02 , LillyStoppable (glad you like it!), and all you wonderful guest reviewers! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**


	9. Chapter 9 - Seeing Red

Chapter 9

Graduation came and went. And with no response from Jack in the last four months, Elsa finally called it quits. Oh, she wrote letters, sometimes six or seven times a week, but she never sent them. It didn't mean she was giving up; it just meant she was all the more focused. Less time spent on hoping and getting disappointed meant more time spent on preparation.

Elsa's 18th birthday was a small affair. Her relatives came by to remind her of her duties. Anna and Kristoff took her out to dinner, voicing their concerns about her. But all she did was smile and reassure them, saying that she was okay, that she was moving forward, that she was happy. They didn't really believe her, but since it was her birthday, they smiled back and said okay.

In the months the three had spent together, the more Elsa had come to love the two. Anna was adorable and funny, Kristoff was sarcastic and hilarious. Elsa only hoped the two would date already, instead of dancing around it. She could tell they loved each other, but something was stopping them. But it wasn't her business, not at all, so she kept quiet about it.

When it came time to move to her new dorm, away from Anna and Kristoff, Elsa was a bit scared.

The two promised they'd visit on the weekends, every single one if they could. The whole affair was a bit teary, and despite Kristoff's gruff appearance, Elsa had seen an extra shininess in his eyes. She laughed, but didn't make a comment.

And that's how she arrived at that moment, in her new dorm room, staring at the ink filled page before her, which was addressed to Jack. Giving it one last glance, she folded it carefully and stuck it in the locked container with the rest of them. Tonight her new second part-time job was starting. The next two years were going to be rough, she thought grimly, but she had to do this. Otherwise, she wouldn't have enough money to pay for all the things the scholarship didn't include.

...

Each night she fell into her bed after working and studying utterly exhausted. Every day took its toll on her mind and body, urging her to just give up and give in to her family's wishes. But then she would think of Jack, and her resolve would strengthen. He was worth it. He would always be worth it.  
Her 19th birthday came and passed. Soon, she would be 20.

...

She applied for the scholarship her second year of college and sagged in relief when she got the letter back congratulating her. Just a few more months, and she'd be able to see him. She studied harder, worked at her jobs tirelessly, and wrote long letters. In her near two years of college life, she had yet to go to a party or have a boyfriend. A few friends here and there, but nothing more than acquaintances really. After all, this here, her existence here, wasn't permanent.

A week before Elsa was to move, Anna and Kristoff came and visited her. They still went to the same school as two years ago and were finally dating. And they were damn adorable, too. If Elsa wasn't so happy for them, she would've been a little jealous.

They wished her good luck, giving her a few small gifts and an envelope. Elsa looked at it suspiciously.

"What's in it?"

The blonde and redhead looked at each other. Seemed to communicate through their eyes.

"Just take it," Anna finally responded.

Elsa narrowed her eyes, getting angry. Thrust the hand holding the envelope towards them. "Is this money? Because, I don't need it, I've already almost got enough saved-"

"Just take it!" Kristoff growled. "We get it, you know? We're not pitying you or patronizing you or whatever, we just wanna help you. That's all. We've seen how hard you work, Elsa. It's not much, but we want to help. Just let us, okay?"

It was the angriest Elsa had seen him, and Anna was just as passionate. "Please, Elsa, just humor us! We really love you, and don't want you to have to struggle this much."

Double teamed. They weren't going to budge on this, either. She lowered the hand, defeated, and sighed.

"Please?" Anna's green eyes were huge and impossible to say no to. Elsa looked away.

"Fine," she muttered, crossing her arms. "Fine, fine, fine. Are you happy now?"

"Yes!" the other girl cried, hugged Kristoff then hugging Elsa. "You don't know how much this means to me, to both of us."

She hugged her back. "No, I don't. But thank you, anyways."

Anna paused, and pulled back. "Elsa, about Jack..."

The blonde froze, and looked at her sharply. "What about him?"

The other girl gnawed on her lip, and looked at Kristoff for support. "Um, it's just that... I wasn't going to say anything, but when we first got here, we told him you were here, and-"

"And what?" This wasn't sounding good.

"And well," Anna winced. "Well he said he would come for you, try to save some money, but... He hasn't. He hasn't even visited you once, Elsa. We don't want you to get heartbroken if he's different than what you remember-"

"Stop." Elsa's voice was ice cold.

The younger girl flushed and furrowed her eyebrows. "I'm just trying to warn you! You didn't see him when we went to him last year to-"

"He hasn't changed, Anna. He's... _Jack_."

Anna stared at her for a few seconds, then let out an angry sounding sigh. "Fine, okay? Fine. I won't say anything else."

The visit passed normally after that, and the topic of money or Jack was never mentioned again. The day came when Elsa was to move, coming incredibly quickly, until finally, at long last, she had arrived at XX University.

She lugged her suitcases to her new room, nervous and excited all at once. This was it. She could finally see Jack after all these years. She could explain it all, explain everything to him. He would understand. It was Jack, after all. He was the best person Elsa knew.

Her roommate had already put her things away, and was gone. Oh well. The two would meet eventually. After dumping her bags on her side of the room, she ventured out. Searched for the friendliest-looking person, and called out.

"Excuse me." Tapped his shoulder lightly.

The stranger turned towards her, smiling. "Hey there. What can I do for you?"

She cleared her throat. "Hi, I was wondering, do you by any chance know Jack Frost? He should be a junior here-"

He interrupted her by laughing. "'Course I know Jack! Everyone does."

She blinked. Well, it wasn't like she should've expected Jack to _not _be popular. It was his natural inclination, after all.

"Well, do you know where I could find him?" She inwardly cringed when she saw his expression change. Did that sound creepy? It hadn't seem like a creepy question at the time, but maybe it was...

His light brown eyes became scrutinizing. He scratched his head. "Eh, I don't mean to sound rude sweetheart, but... Are you one of his groupies? You know, the girls that always hang around him?"

Elsa was confused. Groupie...? Why would he have groupies? Well, not to say he wasn't handsome, but in high school it had never been like that. He had always gently discouraged them, let them down nicely. They always backed off after that. "Groupie?"

"Yeah, I mean..." He saw her expression. "Okay, guess you're not. Sorry, sweetheart. You a friend of his, then?"

She nodded impatiently.

He smiled, amused. "If you're looking for him, I think your best bet's the party tonight."

"...Party?"

"Yeah, it's a huge back-to-school one!" He smiled. "His are always the best. He's awesome. Super chill, and funny, too! Hell, and he's smart! Like, damn boy! That ain't fair."

What the... Was this a slight man crush? Interesting. "Sorry, I'm new this year. Could you tell me where it's at?"

"Sure can, sugar." He smiled again, and rattled off an address. After Elsa thanked him, he waved goodbye and said he hoped to see her at the party with a smile.

Elsa watched him go, wondering how someone could smile so much at a stranger. And what had he meant about Jack? Was he really that popular? He had never really been one to throw parties in high school, but who knew... Maybe this was a new thing of his. Anna's words came back to her, but Elsa shook her head. People were allowed to change. This was a small thing. It didn't mean he had completely changed.

She wandered back to her room, and thought about what she should do. Obviously, she would go to the party... Even though they weren't really her thing. But what should she wear? The cliche thing to do would be to wear something tight and super short, but the last time she checked, she had none of the above. She looked through her clothes, frowning. Black skinny jeans and a chiffon tank top would have to do, she decided. And her hair? With great reluctance, she came to the conclusion that she'd have to take it out of its braid.

Doubts crept into her mind about Jack forgetting her, about what Anna and Kristoff had said, but she quickly dismissed them. He wouldn't. He couldn't.

* * *

The time finally came for the party. When she exited her dorm room, the hall was buzzing with talk. And it was all about Jack and the party.

She wandered past, eavesdropping shamelessly and getting more concerned. Would she even be able to talk to Jack? It seemed like everyone wanted to, and if this many people from her floor alone were going, she could only imagine how many in total were going.

She walked there, hoping she wasn't too early, yet also hoping she could catch him before the party started.

No such luck. It was already in full swing by the time she arrived, the music loud and thumping and people spilling out of the frat house.

Elsa immediately felt ill at ease and out of place, but raised her head. Squared her shoulders. And then she walked in like she was the shit.

It didn't seem to matter, because only a smattering of people spared her a glance. One or two offered her a drink, which she declined. God, it was crowded. And loud. How would she ever find Jack? After five minutes of fruitless searching, she had a headache and was almost ready to call it quits. She could find him at a different time, right?

"Elsa! Hey, Elsa!" She whipped around, her heart galloping. Was that him? Had he called her name?

"To your right!" No... the voice was different. It wasn't Jack.

She turned, and her thoughts were confirmed. It was Jamie, shouting to be heard over the music. "Hey, glad you could make it, Elsa!"

She gave him a small smile and nodded.

"You look a bit lost, you lookin' for Jack?!"

"Yeah!" she shouted back.

He smiled. "I just saw him a few minutes back, want me to show you?!"

She nodded and smiled back. Finally.

Jamie led her to a dark room with couches and random cushions on the floor. A TV and game console were surrounded by a small crowd of guys, staring intently at the screen and yelling obscenities. A few girls were there, too, squeezed in between or on the guys' laps. Elsa searched, heart racing for a silver head. No, no, no... Where was he?!

"He's over there, with the hat on," Jamie whisper-shouted in her ear.

Oh. That was... Hold up a second. Was that a girl on his lap? The hell? She was whispering intimately into his ear, smiling seductively, and... was her hand playing with his hair? Elsa was seeing red, and was about to storm over to the bitch, when the girl looked up and noticed Elsa. And then... she smirked. And whispered something to Jack. He paused the game, eliciting a roar from the rest of the males in the room, and finally looked at the girl on his lap. She nodded, and pointed towards Elsa. Uh... What did that mean?

He turned, and their eyes met.

The first thing she noticed was that his face had changed. He had lost the rest of his baby fat; his cheekbones were sharper, more defined. His hair no longer flopped into his eyes; now, it was messily shoved under a beanie. And his eyes... They had become almost imperceptibly lighter and had a new light in them. A fierceness, an _anger_, that hadn't been there before.

She started to smile, when he turned back around. Pressed play on the game.

Acted as if nothing had happened. The girl on his lap giggled and smirked at Elsa, and went back to playing with his hair.

Each second brought a new emotion. Shock. Betrayal. Denial. Confusion. Shame. Embarrassment. Anger.

Then came coherent thoughts.

_What. The. Fuck._

What the fuck had just happened? Was that really Jack? He had been so... So... UGH! She wanted to punch something.

A hand on her shoulder startled Elsa. It was Jamie.

"Uhhh... That was-"

She turned to face him. Something in her face must have alarmed him, because the next words were rushed and obviously meant to soothe her.

"Hey, how 'bout we go back to the main party, sweetheart? I know how to make this wicked drink..."

Elsa nodded. It was probably a good idea to get her out of the room before she did something bad. Her fist was itching to connect with someone's face. But Jamie's hand on her back propelled her forward, away from the person who looked suspiciously a lot like Jack, but obviously wasn't. Jamie had seen wrong. _She _had seen wrong. No fucking way that was Jack.

She sat down at the kitchen to watch Jamie make a drink, then drank it angrily.

After a few drinks, Elsa was already feeling happier. She had danced with Jamie (clean, of course. She couldn't even dance dirty if she tried to) and laughed stupidly at all his jokes. Man, he was super funny. And his smile was so contagious... He stayed with her the whole party, even though quite a few people tried to drag him away. She felt a little bad, but was too drunk to care. He kind of reminded her of Jack, or at least the Jack she used to know. For a moment, she sobered up, tears threatening to fall. Jamie noticed immediately, and pulled her to the dance floor again to distract her. He really was sweet. Afterwards, he called it quits. He walked her outside, an arm around her shoulders to steady her.

"Hey sweetheart, I think it's time I got you home."

She shook her head, smiling and slurring. "No waaay. I wanna stay s'more."

"Oh, it's definitely time. Which dorm are you in?"

She mumbled the name, and thought about Jack again.

"Elsa? I just... Jack probably didn't see you properly." Whoa, did he read minds? "No, you said that aloud. And that, too."

Oh. That made sense.

"I mean, it was pretty dark in that room. He probably didn't even see your face, okay?"

"But I... I saw his."

"Yeah, but the TV screen lit up his face, right? I don't think it got you very well."

"I guess." Or that hadn't been Jack.

"I think you're a real sweet girl, Elsa. And I think Jack needs someone like you."

Why was that?

"Because..." Jamie bit his lip, looking at her. "Nevermind. Forget I said anything. But I can probably set up lunch with him, and you can come along, okay?"

"Okaaaaaay," she said, but it sounded more like a slur.

He smiled at her slightly and chuckled. "All right, let's get you tucked in bed, missy."

She fell asleep that night, the Jack-Frost-look-alike from the party the last image in her mind before it all went black.

...

The next morning, the first thing she noticed was that she was alone again. Her roommate was already gone. After that, all she could do was groan, clutch her head, and curse alcohol.

Why oh why had she drank that? It wasn't even worth it! She rolled over and tried to get up.

Not a good idea. But she fought forward to the bathroom her and her neighbors shared, intending to shower, and ending up puking. Lovely. Hopefully no one was home next door.

After her puke-fest and shower were over, she sat on her bed. Wondered if she should walk through her schedule again, like yesterday.

But a knock on the door some five minutes later distracted her.

She opened the door, curious. It was Jamie. And he was smiling, excited.

"I got him to agree to lunch today and-" He stopped, staring at her in horror.

"What?" She asked defensively.

"You look _really _bad. Are you okay?"

She glared at him. "Gee, thanks."

Jamie shook his head. "Anyways, get ready for some Jack action at 12:30..." Looked at his watch. "Which gives you 15 minutes to get yourself prettied up and geared for battle."

She slammed the door in his face and trudged to her dresser. His chuckle was audible through the thin door.

* * *

**A/N: ****I know the last few chapters have been missing Jack, I'M SORRY! (I crave the fluff too...)The letters... Yeah I didn't mean to make it sound like The Notebook :O I looked back on it and I was like, oh, that's really true... No more Notebook-esque stuff from now on, guys! And I'll try to not make this cliche... but I'm not really sure what counts as cliche anymore! Sorry not sorry if it ends up like that :P Sometimes I can't control the fluff that comes out X)**

**Thanks to all the followers and favorite-ers, you guys rock! Also thanks to all you reviewers: SAshleigh0211 , lovinglovexx , The Flash Pirates , WickedgreenPhantom , DragonHeart64 , OniNoKo (GOOD CATCH! I kinda write this on the go so I don't usually see it until it's too late, thanks!) , Bumbleboy92 , and all you guest reviewers!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**


	10. Chapter 10 - A New Scar

Chapter 10

Elsa was unbearably nervous about lunch. So many questions ran through her mind, so many doubts, so many thoughts. Would this be the same Jack she had seen last night? Was this really her Jack Frost? Did he actually forget her? Who was that girl? Why was he like this?

She buried her hands into the scarf around her neck and crossed her fingers. This could end in two ways, she thought stubbornly.  
Situation 1: Jack sees her, recognizes her, and either apologizes for his behavior at the party or claims he couldn't see her.  
Situation 2: Jack forgot her. And his face gets nicely acquainted with both of her fists.

Jamie opened the door for her and the bell tinkled above. "I think we're here first," he said, looking around. "Let's go sit in a booth, okay sweetheart?"

She gave a noise of agreement and followed his footsteps. They sat down.

A waiter stopped by. "Hi there. What would you like to drink?"

"Just a water, please."

Jamie grinned at her and shook his head. "I'll have a chocolate milk."

After the waiter left, she narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing at all."

"You're judging me for getting water?"

"Yes. No. Maybe. I just guessed right, is all."

"Yeah? Well I can judge you, too. Who drinks chocolate milk in college?"

He looked at her incredulously. "A lot of people, darlin. A LOT."

She blinked. "Um, well... It's still immature."

"Maybe you just need to loosen up, sweetheart."

Elsa pursed her lips, about to argue, when she felt it. His presence. A pulse in the air different from any other. A heat unique to him. An aura, owned by him and him alone. It stopped at her shoulder.

"So," the voice of Jack Frost drawled. "You brought your girlfriend? This is awkward."

Elsa turned, anxious to see his face again. A faint self-deprecating smile ghosted his lips. It was the same person from the party, only she could see his face better. He wore a beanie again. Everything was the same as she had remembered, but now she could pick out a scar on his forehead, by the edge of his silver hairline, that hadn't been there before.

He turned to look at her, and her heart sunk. A flicker of recognition lit them, along with a fierceness that had a permanent residence. A smile turned his lips up, and Elsa could breath again, could hope again, could-

He snapped his finger as if remembering. Pointed at her. "Ah, that's right! You're the girl from last night's party!"

He was kidding, right? He couldn't be serious. She blinked at him furiously. Snark crept into her voice before she could stop it. "Well, there were a lot of girls there." Like, oh... the one on his lap.

He laughed and slid into the booth, next to Jamie. Her heart wrenched painfully. His laugh was still the same.

"That's true, that's true. I meant to say I saw you in the gaming room, when I paused the game. What did you say your name was, again?"

How could he do this to her? _How could he do this_? They were best-fucking-friends, and he treats her like a stranger. This wasn't fair. _He_ wasn't being fair. Was he punishing her for leaving him? Her mouth twisted angrily, about to let loose some swear words, accusations, and screams all at once. But she didn't get the chance to open her mouth.

"The little lady didn't get the chance, Jack Frost," Jamie cut in. "And it's Elsa."

But he should've known that. She watched his face carefully.

Other than a slight twitch of his lips, he remained the same. "Huh. Pretty unique name, right? I think I've heard it only a few times."

She froze.

"Jack-" Jamie started.

He turned towards Elsa and smiled. "Nice to meet you, Elsa." Turned back away. "But Jamie, what'd you bring me here for? I like seeing you, but I'm a busy man."

Jamie sighed, and ruffled his brown hair. Glanced at Elsa. "A friend... asked me about when your next party would be..."

Their conversation faded from Elsa's hearing. She stared at Jack, lost. He hadn't actually forgotten her, had he? It wasn't possible. You don't just forget your best friend after two and a half years apart...

The table rattled as the other two stood up to leave. Had lunch really passed? They were looking at her expectantly.

She muttered an excuse. "Sorry, sorry."

Jack smiled at her. Damn him. "No rush, Elsa."

Her eyes searched his face, looking for something. They latched onto his scar, and stayed there. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

He smiled, confused. Jamie frowned behind him. "Sure thing."

"How'd you get that scar?"

He froze, smile rapidly fading. A blindingly fake one took over his mouth. "Ah, this one?" His hand touched the scar self-consciously. "Accident. Someone robbed me. Nasty affair, quite bloody. Never found the guy."

She stared at him, shocked. All of her anger was gone for the moment. "Oh my god."

He laughed shortly. "Yeah. Anyways, let's go now."

She nodded and they left.

Jack was waving good-bye and Elsa wanted to scream at him, to stop him and demand answers. So much had happened to him that she didn't know about, so many things he had experienced without her...

But her courage escaped, leaving a faint trace behind. A sliver of confidence. Just enough to propel her to stop him with her hand.

He stopped, looking at her curiously. "Yeah?"

She quickly removed her hand, and shoved it behind her. Stared up into his eyes, willing him to give it up already. "Don't you remember me?"

His silver brows furrowed. He bit his lip. "Um... no? Sorry, do we know each other?"

Elsa swallowed. Her voice came out a whisper. When was he going to give up this ridiculous game? "Yes."

His head tilted back, and his hand ruffled his beanie distractedly. The tips of his cheeks flushed a delicate pink. He was embarrassed. For real. "Oh, shit. I'm really sorry. We just had lunch and you were probably waiting this entire time for me to remember you..."

"Yup."

"Fuuuuuuuck," he groaned. "High school pals?"

She nodded.

"Close friends?" He seemed to wince as he said this.

She nodded again. What the hell. Why was he asking such a stupid question?

He groaned again. "God, I feel horrible now. How about we hangout later and catch up?"

JUST GIVE IT UP! Her mind screamed. Why couldn't he just admit that he won the silly game, and say that it was over? But he seemed so serious...

"Elsa?"

Oh, right. She had to answer. She forced a smile. "Sure, that'd be great."

"Just tell me when and where and I'll make it happen."

Her lips started trembling. He sounded so real, like he really had forgotten her. "Um..."

"Hey," Jamie cut in finally. "How about y'all just exchange numbers? It'll be much easier that way."

He threw Elsa a wink over Jack's shoulder, smiling broadly. "Eh... I don't have a cell phone."

Both of them did a double-take.

"You _what_?" Jamie finally said. Jack, off to the side, had paled slightly.

"I can't afford it."

"Oh..."

This was awkward. "Yeah..." She cleared her throat. "So how about emails?"

Jack, still slightly pale, nodded enthusiastically and smiled.

And so they exchanged emails, said their goodbyes once more, and walked their separate ways, Jamie once again with Elsa.

* * *

_Bizarre. Strange. Heart-breaking._

Those were the words that described the lunch.

_Angry. Confused. Unhappy._

Those were the words that described Elsa's feelings as she arrived back at her dorm. They clouded her brain as she opened the door and saw her roommate finally inside. Her name, Elsa learned, was Rapunzel. Short chocolate hair surrounded a pretty face and big green eyes. She was nice. But their conversation went over her head, all because of Jack.

_Confused. Frustrated._

Those were the words that described Elsa as she thought about lunch as she went to sleep.

_Confused._

That was what Elsa felt the rest of the week.

...

With no email from Jack, Elsa took the initiative. Bit her lip as she composed a new message.

_Hey Jack, it's Elsa. I'm sure you're busy, but maybe we could do lunch or something this week? I haven't seen you in forever!  
_

Hit send.

She stared at her screen, as if she would receive an answer instantly. She stared at it for five minutes straight, until she groaned and hurriedly logged off and went back to her homework. Which she had a lot of. A lot.

A fleeting thought about her family and when they would find out about her transfer crossed her mind. They really couldn't do much...

When Elsa woke up the next day, she avoided any new emails like the plague. It wasn't until after class, and after all her homework was done, that she checked them. She had one eye squeezed close, the other prepared to do the same if she saw something bad.

_Click._ Nope. _Click_. Nah._ Click. _No. But wait... Her heart started galloping. He had replied. _Click._

She read it, her eyes flying over each word, then coming back around to over-analyze to her heart's content. They were on. Thursday. Lunch OR dinner OR a study get-together. Her choice.

Which one was best... Which one should she choose... Her fingers hovered above the keyboard, debating. Lunch would be informal and casual... Dinner could be awkward if he kept pretending he didn't recognize her... Studying would be difficult if she ended up screaming at him... That ruled studying out.

Lunch... or dinner... Lunch? Or dinner?

Her eyes narrowed. Dinner would be more expensive. (She would manipulate him into paying) Dinner would take up more of his time. Dinner would make him most uncomfortable. Dinner would allow her the courage and time to line up her accusations and demands.

Dinner it was. She smiled, and hit send.

* * *

Classes flew by. Projects, essays, homework, cram-studying - all of it. By the time Thursday came around, Elsa had had little time to plan what she would say. But she had managed to find time. It was kind of embarrassing, but she had written all of it down on a little notecard. It was just a guideline, really, not something she would read word-for-word... Because, well, a lot of it was written furiously and packed with emotion... Even the Jack Frost she had known in high school wouldn't find it amusing. In fact, he'd probably be scared away. MILES away. This was some scary, emotional shit she had written down. After dinner, she was shredding and burning it.

Elsa glanced at the mirror in her dorm. Her hands smoothed down the white jeans she wore and fiddled with the hem of her ice-blue sleeveless top. Good enough. She wasn't losing her braid for tonight, though. No, it was staying.

"You look cute," Rapunzel called from behind Elsa.

She turned and smiled. "Thanks. I can't decide on heels or sandals, though."

"Hm." The brunette sat up and pursed her lips in concentration. "This a date?"

"Uh... I don't think so."

"Okay, then unless you _want _it to be a date, and you're pretty sure he wants it to be one too, I'd go with sandals."

She let out a breath and slid on her sandals. "Thanks again, Rapunzel."

"Aw, I thought I told you before! Just call me Zel, 'kay?" She giggled, green eyes crinkling.

Elsa smiled, a bit sad. She was reminded of Anna. "Sure, Zel."

"All right, now go, go! I'm almost positive you told me 6:30 and it's already 6:20!"

A curse flew from her mouth, and she rushed out the door, throwing a good-bye over her shoulder.

"Good luck, Elsa!"

Yes. She would need luck, if this dinner was going the way she intended it to go.

* * *

She arrived five minutes late, and hoped Jack was even later. That way, she could prepare herself. Go over her notes in her head, calm her nerves, get it all under control.

No such luck. She was escorted to their table right away, and Jack sat there... Holy-son-of-a-biscuit.

Elsa snapped her mouth closed before he looked up. Dayummm, if she had thought an apron had looked sinful on him, she was sorely mistaken. A simple light blue button-up made his eyes look extra blue, his hair extra silver and artfully disheveled, as if he had just shaken it out of a beanie, and (if she was seeing this right) his dark-wash jeans made him look sexy... without him even trying. He had the whole look down. The "I'm downright sinful and I'll make you salivate, even though I just threw on some clothes and ran a hand through my hair" look.

She sighed. Was that a dreamy sigh? Fuck no. Focus. ANGER. BETRAYAL. FURY. STRENGTH.

He looked up from the menu he had been studying, and smiled.

It broke her defenses. God, how had he gotten so attractive? His eyes goddamn _twinkled_. Had they always twinkled? Like, WAIT. FOCUS.

She smiled back, but Elsa was sure it looked painful. Because it felt painful.

"Hey Jack."

"Elsa! Hey there. How are you?"

"I'm fine, how are you?" She kept her eyes on his eyebrows. Eyebrows couldn't be sexy, right?

"Great, it's good to see you again." She could hear the smile in his voice. Was he smiling? It couldn't be too bad to look, right? Not as if- she stopped herself from rearing back. His smile was bright and perfect and dreamy and delicious...

"Elsa?"

Her eyes snapped back up. His eyes were laughing. Ohhhh, that made her mad. "Sure. Yeah. Okay, Jack, I have something I want to say."

The waiter came by to take their orders, stopping her right before she got into her rant. Probably a good thing he didn't come mid-rant.

Jack smiled after they were done ordering. "You were saying, Elsa?"

Deep breath. "Right. Okay, Jack, I don't know what you're playing at and I don't know if it's a game to you or not but the fact that you're pretending as if you don't know me is stupid and immature and I know we haven't seen each other in over two years but I can explain and I know I stopped writing but I also have a reason and-"

He held up a hand, and she stopped, out of breath. After all, it had come out all at once.

His blue eyes darkened, serious. "Elsa... I think I need to tell you something."

Her eye twitched angrily. She crossed her arms. "Yeah?" Her eyes dared him to continue.

His hand ruffled his hair. His eyes dropped from hers, staring at the tableware. He started fiddling with it.

God, she couldn't take it anymore. Her hand landed on his, startling him. He looked up, staring at her. Searched her eyes. Elsa froze, a slight flush creeping up her neck.

"What?" she whispered. Her anger was forgotten.

"I..." He bit his lip. Sighed tiredly. "Elsa, I don't know you. I think I know _of _you, though."

She withdrew her hand, blinking rapidly. He noticed.

"Let me explain."

Her head starting shaking back and forth. No. No, no, _no. _"_No._"

She started to stand up. Fuck dinner, fuck Jack, fuck everything. She was done. This was stupid. She turned, but his warm hand grasped her wrist, stopping her.

His eyes were pleading. Not malicious at all. "Please listen to me. I'm not messing with you, I swear."

Elsa slowly sat back down, watching him warily.

"Can I continue?"

She nodded.

"Remember last week, how I told you about my scar?"

She nodded.

"I got it... Ah jeez, two years ago? And, remember how I said there was a lot of blood?"

She nodded.

"Yeah well," Jack's brows furrowed. "There was head trauma, too."

She swallowed. "And?"

"And..." He started fiddling with the silverware again. "And with it, amnesia."

Wait, what?

"So..."

She waited for him to continue.

"So, I don't remember some stuff from my past. The doctors say most of my memory loss shouldn't be permanent, but well, some of it hasn't come back."

He looked up finally. She gulped. His eyes had that fierce light in them again.

"Elsa? Were you listening?"

"Yeah," she whispered.

"I'm really sorry I forgot you. I feel like I should know you, but I only have vague feelings associated with your name." His lips thinned.

"Can you ever get all of your memories back?"

"Well, eventually. But the ones that I lost, the docs said I'd get them back by being exposed to the memories. But from what I've heard, only you and I have access to what happened between us."

Something about his tone made her wonder, but she disregarded her worry. "Can we... Can I help you remember?"

He looked away and a small, almost bitter, smile flickered over his lips. What was that? Her old Jack had never smiled like that...

Jack looked back up, his icy eyes blazing.

He grinned, a beautiful, heart-breaking grin. "I was kind of hoping you'd say that."

She grinned back. Everything that had happened made sense. Why she hadn't heard back, why he hadn't remembered her, even Anna/Kristoff's doubts.

"Well, let's do this over again. Hi, Jack Frost, I'm Elsa. Nice to re-meet you." She held out her hand over the table for him to shake. They shook. "And I hope we can be best friends again."

His eyes danced, and he leaned his chin on his fist. His voice was a whisper, barely heard above the chatter in the restaurant around them. "I hope so too, Elsa. I hope so too."

It gave her shivers.

* * *

**A/N: I KNOW THIS SOUNDS CLICHE BUT IM GOING SOMEWHERE WITH THIS, OKAY? THERES SOMETHING MORE (in case you were doubtin me.) Besides that****, I've gotta admit, this was probably one of the coolest to write because of the end! JACK! I MISSED YOU! ****(Not gonna lie, I googled amnesia for this one.) **Haha, anyways, thank you favorite-ers, followers, and reviewers!

**adrianazaba (thank you!), Catcher Yarrow (Me: *holds up glue* Well, there are a lot of pieces... But I figure this might work? ;) ), Gotfandom204 (wow, that's awesome! makes me feel accomplished hahah), FruhlingDragon (yay :D), PriscilaOrglene , TheForgottenDisneyPrincess (ooooh, let it all out! :D hahah *high fives*), doubLL , Lillyluvone (guess you'll have to see, hmm? ;) ), Nicjole (yayyy!), emeowi , IShipJelsabecauseImaJelsaLover (THANK YOU!), Blue-Eyed Cat , WickedgreenPhantom (oh gosh, I am too!), Livia Toric , RinRinLizzie02 , Merlin's neon spotty left sock , OniNoKo (ooooooo hehehe did I throw a curveball? I think I did :D Hope you enjoyed it ;) ), HogwartsDwarfKat , Brickgirl101 , lovinglovexx , and all you LOVELY guest reviewers!  
**

**(Could you guys tell I was really happy when I wrote the last part of this? Maybe not, but I was XD Happy Easter to anyone who celebrates it! I saw my adorable baby cousins... Who of course mentioned Frozen to me.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**


	11. update

Hey all, sorry it's been such a long time since updating. I'm not sure how many actually saw my profile where I stated I was on hiatus until mid-May, but I was. I appreciate your patience for waiting but I realized recently that my family is moving in June so I'm going to have to delay the next chapters for a few more weeks. (Sorry! I have to help pack and stuff) I haven't checked any of the reviews or messages, (which is a big no-no for me) so that's how busy I've been. Thanks for understanding guys!


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